A is for Apple

I love chocolate covered apples! ...well chocolate covered anything for that matter. It's tradition that we get a chocolate covered apple for Christmas. I think it's safe to say it's a staple at our dinner table around the holidays. So this past week, you could image my excitement when I received an email from Shane at Aly's Apples in Texas. It got me thinking about the many dessert displays we helped create this year and how fun it would have been to include something like these yummy treats. The mini chocolate covered apples are perfect! I also thought the bride & groom apples are adorable. What a fun cute idea for the dessert table or something to serve at the farewell brunch on Sunday!

Cost ranges from $6.95 - $44.95 depending on the apple selected. In addition to apples, there are chocolate covered strawberries, pretzels, Oreos, and rice krispie treats.





Happy Shopping!


Images courtesy of Aly's Apples

Local Host with the Most: Brio Tuscan Grille

Brio caters to the needs of each private party by providing individualized service, an amazing atmosphere, and of course, fantastic food!





Their private event packages are hand selected by Brio Chefs, which showcase a variety of their Italian favorites. With dinner and brunch packages, they are the perfect spot to host both a rehearsal dinner and a wedding brunch.





Bio's staff is educated and prepared to help you plan your private dining event. Contact the location most convenient for you and your guests or the one that best suits the size of your party.

Easton: 614.416.4745 (parties of up to 50 people)
Polaris: 614.410.0310 (parties of up to 120 people)

Buon Appetito!

Royal Favors

Check out these wedding favors from Queen City Cookies that will have your guests feeling like royalty! Inspired by the Duchess of Roux, their signature Buttery Shortbread Bliss is the perfect union of shortbread and icing imprinted with designs from traditional Springerle molds.

They have created cookies perfectly suited for any bride seeking lavish, edible favors. From hearts, to love birds, to carriages, all the elements of love are baked right in. Queen City Cookies will work with you to customize your personal wedding favors and even allow you to remember them far past consumption with a commemorative paper pressing of your unique design.

Images from the Queen City Cookies Website

Your princess wedding won't be complete without some sweet treats for all those who attended the ball!

Fingerprint Hearts

Annette and Dan, as featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, made these adorable wedding favors by incorporating Dan's love for music and their fingerprints. Fingerprint hearts are an unique way to personalize any wedding detail. Apply them to your own favors, invitations, or even use your guests' prints to make an adorable guest book. Any way you use them, fingerprints are a personal touch that will add sentimental value to the wedding for both the bride and broom and their guests.

Photo from Martha Stewart Weddings

Photo from Bleudetoi's shop on Etsy

Survival of the Hippest

Image from Survival of the Hippest website

"Handcrafted from 925 Sterling Silver, 10k, or 14k Gold (with diamonds even!) The Survival of the Hippest (SOTH) Social St@tus collection features custom-made Twitter accessories that put your TwitterName (or Hashtag!) where it belongs--off the screen and, uh, around your neck."

Show your wedding guests that you truly are the hippest, by incorporating social networking into your wedding plans. Give the members of your social network a SOTH necklace, keychain, bracelet, anklet, pin, or tie clip as a wedding favor or as a gift to your wedding party.

Gifting a SOTH accessory is sure to make you the #bestbrideever

Bride & Groom Chocolate Covered Strawberries

When considering wedding favors, small deserts are a cute and delicious way to say thank you. One of our favorite picks are bride & groom chocolate covered strawberries. With a simple double dip, you can create these fun deserts, and all you need are strawberries, a bit of shortening, white & milk chocolate. (Add one tablespoon of shortening to the chocolate when melting it)

To make the wedding dress, dip the strawberry into the melted white chocolate. Once it is dry, you can paint on the detail with a paintbrush (used for food purposes only). If you want to add accessories, like the pink necklace shown here, just add a little food coloring to the chocolate to get the desired color.

The tuxedo is made using a double dip. First, dip the strawberry into the white chocolate. Once dry, dip each side of the strawberry into the chocolate to create the tuxedo jacket. To finish the look, simply add on the bow tie and buttons with a paintbrush.

If you are not comfortable using a paintbrush to add the detail, simply fill a plastic baggie with the chocolate, then cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Simple use this the same as you would a frosting bag.

Miracle Berry Flavor Tripping Parties Flip the Tongue

Joe Fornabaio for The New York Times

Imagine a teaspoon of lemon juice that tastes as sweet as maple syrup. Guinness that tastes like a chocolate malt. Cheap tequila that goes down as smooth as Patron.

If you think this sounds crazy, you're probably right. But this sensation is possible due to a tiny little berry dubbed the "Miracle Fruit." Once eaten, the Miracle Fruit (or Synsepalum dulcificum) rewires the way taste buds perceive hot and sour tastes, rendering them sweet. One of the hottest new trends in New York City, parties featuring the Miracle Fruit are called "flavor tripping parties." At a typical party, guests eat the berry, then go crazy eating a variety of foods like citrus, cheese, vinegars, pickles, and just about anything else you can think of.

Miracle berries are available online from the website www.miraclefruitman.com. They are also available in a freeze-dried tablet form. At nearly $3 a piece, the berries are not cheap, but they promise to be an unforgettable experience for your next adventurous gathering!

Summer Fair Party Ideas

photo from www.goodlifeinthecity.com

You can celebrate the summer and add some state fair flair to your next cocktail party without going into fried-cheese-on-a-stick territory!

Start things off with a sweet cocktail - try this cotton candy recipe or this caramel candy appletini. Enjoy some funnel cakes, Rachael Ray style. And at the end of the day you can send your guests home with a goldfish in a bag that won't require any fish food - these fish are encased in clear glycerin soap and tied with a cute orange ribbon. Check them out at Spoon Sisters.

Favor Fun - Gumball Machines

Gumball machines! How fun I thought! When I saw these, my mind was just spinning with the possibilities of customizing them. I loved the versatility of the colors they're available in as well as the different color gumballs you could fill them with. Not to mention the ribbon and tag too! Oh the options!

These would be so fun as wedding favors, bar/bat mitzvah favors or a fun addition to a candy buffet. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are only around $3 each!

Happy Shopping!

Favor Fun - Ococoa

When I saw these chocolates I just knew I had found a little piece of heaven. Ococoa chocolates are 9 brilliant flavor combinations sure to make you smile! I love everything about them - their flavor combinations, their look and of course the packaging.

These would make great favors for a bridal shower, bridesmaids tea or wedding. They are available in 2 or 4 piece boxes. You can select the box color and ribbon color that best coordinates with your color palette.









Happy Shopping!

Favor Fun - a mini series I

Party favors are one of the best ways to show your guests that you appreciated them there. However, sometimes it can be hard to find that perfect gift to give. Favors are looked at as just "an added expense" by some couples. Yes, they are an expense but they are also an opportunity to show your creativity and thank your guests at the same time. It is the last impression of your wedding they are walking away with. I believe that most guests attending a wedding are looking forward to the favor they'll receive just for that reason.

A good rule of thumb is to always give something edible. Keep the cheapy frames at home. What is someone going to do with one 2x3 silver frame? Nothing - it's going in the the trash or garage sale the first chance they get. Chances are if it's something they can consume - half will eat/drink it on the spot and the other half will save it for the ride home or next day.

To help with creating the perfect favor for your event, I have a devised a short series on favors.

The first in the series is a gift I found at Beau Coup, called Personalized bridal
tea bags. Tea is the most popular beverage in the world, next to water. This will give a
uniqueness all your own. I loved this idea because the next morning they can enjoy a nice cut of tea and think back on the amazing wedding they attended the night before. You can also include a cup and saucer set, cute sugar cubes with the tea bags as a gift package. I could see this being such a great idea for an adorable favor for those who are doing an afternoon, garden wedding!

So adorable!

Master of Cake: Sylvia Weinstock

I had the privilege of meeting Sylvia back in October and let me tell you she's one of the most fun and unique people I've met in a long time. I got to hear her talk about her cakes, her famous glasses, where in inspiration comes from and how she runs her kitchen operation.

Those of us in attendance were also fortunate enough to receive an early copy of her book Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes. It's a beautiful that my clients enjoy flipping through when they're at the studio. I was also lucky enough to receive a few of her delicious Godiva Chocolate favors. If you haven't had one, it's worth getting one, or two because they chocolate is sooo yummy!

Here's a peak at a few pages from the book:

My Favorite Things - Pistacia Vera

Pistacia Vera is this great little bakery in German Village. They make the most beautiful and tasty little pastries. Each piece is almost like it's own little piece of edible art. The macaroons are great as favors (my personal favorite), or even use them as dessert at the reception. Yes, your guests will be more than happy to eat these in addition to wedding cake. I speak from experience! I believe they will ship if you happen to be out of the immediate area.

One of My Favorite Things

These candles are one of my most favorite things! 

 Paul Robinett has70 fabulous scents in his little shop at 7 Buttles in the Short North.  My favorite scent is his original "7 Buttles in a Bottle".   

We used these recently in May to create a more personal, cozy  feel at the wedding reception for Erin & Justin. We lit them right after dinner when the sun was starting to set.  After a short while, the wonderful scent filled the pavillion and tent.  Everyone was asking what is that candle?  At the end of the night everyone was fighting over them!  These could also be used as favors if your budget permits.  The jars can be customized with a personal monogram or image of your choice.  You'll see in the picture below, there is a simple monogram K on the jar.

MOOOOOOO...

No not the like the cow silly! It's this fun site called MOO!

I found this site a while back when I was looking to have a few things printed and fell in love with their creative offerings, style and price (I won't lie!). They do greeting cards, post cards, stickers, and my personal favorite the mini tag!

They've got these great little mini tags that I think would be full little wedding projects like save the dates, favor tags, the possibilities are endless! The great thing about them is that you can upload custom art work and 100 of them are only $19.99.

Happy Shopping!