When I design tables for charity events, we encourage local vendors to donate their specialty items as part of the overall display. It’s a great way to showcase some amazing talent and I get to meet and try new treats! As part of the design challenge, I really wanted to showcase the adorable printable party set that Paper & Cake designed and play off the colors and patterns. I LOVE the flavor tags, arrow signs and all the fun she incorporated into the design. It really brought this collection to life. It’s important with a bright color palette to make sure the table doesn’t get too over saturated and crazy, or nothing will stand out. That being said, I instantly knew the background and general decor for the tablescape needed to be more neutral and reminiscent of the natural colors found while on safari. I took a more literal approach to the challenge and wanted the animals to be the art and the desserts the focal point.

I always start with the backdrop and basic table design first to give a base for the rest of the table. I draped large sheets of burlap and an old fishing net over a metal photographers backdrop frame. Thank goodness my husband, The Pixel Studio, was there for set up b/c placing the leaves just right proved to be a two man job. Carolyn Horton Events loaned me her bag full of greenery and I used a lot of it to frame the backdrop on each side. I think the green created a nice, natural frame and reminded me of a real safari tent!

Then the fun part! When I was told that Pottery Barn Kids was allotting each designer $250 of product toward their table design I about flipped. I am obsessed with Pottery Barn Kids and spent quite a long time trying to decide what to use. There were so many perfect pieces! When I saw the Zebra and Giraffe Explorer Canvas Art I just knew they’d be perfect hanging from the backdrop. It really tied everything together and provided the subtle color I wanted. I’m not gonna lie…I wanted to change my daughters room to safari after seeing these. They also come in this pink and gray Hippo and Giraffe Canvas.

When I think safari, I think old trunks, luggage and treasure. I was thrilled when Found Vintage Rentals let me raid their warehouse in search of the perfect pieces. This is where my vision really started coming to life. My concept for the table was that an explorer on safari had come across various animals and plants and wanted to take them home to show his kids. The desserts are miniturized versions of all his wild findings. Showcased on crates, in drawers, on trunks and old tool boxes I absolutely loved how perfect the pieces from Found Vintage Rentals proved to be. I also used their globe and lantern…a safari must have. I get so giddy when I get to use “prop” pieces in a design. I really think they add texture, height and depth in all the right places.

Now on to the desserts! When working with many different vendors, it’s almost like having lots of different designers come together under one roof. Part of the design challenge for me, was making sure everything was cohesive and didn’t get too eclectic. I knew that the desserts should be the focal point (of course) and that each donating vendor should stand out in their own way. Knowing this, I decided it would be best to choose an animal and color for each dessert. This is a great way to have each treat showcased in it’s own light without them all looking to similar. I could not have been more ecstatic about how each dessert told it’s own story.

First up, the cupcakes! I chose bright pink as a main base color that would start to highlight the Paper & Cake designs and spray painted floral boxes to use as the cupcake stands. Floral boxes are a cheap and easy way to create height. Because they come in wood color, you can easily paint or spray paint them any color you want! I wrapped some orange yarn around the boxes to give them some subtle texture. The lovely JennyWenny Cakes donated the cupcakes for this event and let me tell you, they were delicious! I am a huge banana fan but it has to be done just right when it comes to desserts. She made the most amazing banana chocolate chip cupcakes. AMAZING! She also made chocolate with caramel and vanilla buttercream cupcakes. A big favorite. Her animal was the blue elephant. JennyWenny Cakes created the fondant toppers with suns and elephants and they were sheer perfection. I love to watch people bite into cupcakes and these produced instant smiles and had eyes lighting up.

Next up, a treat that is quickly becoming a new dessert trend. Meringue Bake Shop created the PushCake long before it became popular and she is truly an expert in this area. The PushCake is layered cake and frosting in just the right amounts. Served in a push pop container reminiscent of the ice cream treat I enjoyed as a kid, these are easy to eat and are full of flavor. She created her own display trays which provide the perfect stability and spacing between pops. Her popular Orange Crush and Chocolate Vanilla were enjoyed by all. For most, this was their first encounter with a  PushCake and they were “ooohing and aaaahing” over how cute, fun and tasty they were. She incorporated the zebra designs from Paper & Cake on each PushCake too! Cute! If you live in the Orange County area, Meringue Bake Shop sells her confections at local farmer’s markets and takes orders daily.

Salted caramel. I’m going to let you salivate over those words. I believe salted caramel is the flavor of the year. I am obsessed and in love with this perfect blend of sweet and salty and have a whole slew of recipes involving these two ingredients that I cannot wait to use. Caramels to me are a delicacy. I relate them to my great grandmother who always had one in her mouth. I never thought I’d be so in love with them myself. To find a really good…I mean REALLY good caramel is a challenge. Once you’ve had one though, your life will be changed forever. When Firefly Confections sent several pounds of their handmade, hand wrapped caramels, I eye balled them for hours. I finally gave in and tried one (hey…a girl has to taste test!) Heaven. Pure, salted heaven in a caramel. The perfect texture, consistency, and flavor. HEAVEN! I had to hide the rest b/c they are so addicting! These caramels were such a treat and I saw many guests stuffing handfuls into their pockets for later. I placed them in the drawers of a Found Vintage Rental find like the little, bite size treasures that they are. Now I know why grandma always had one. ADDICTING!! Firefly Confections make an array of sweet treats. You MUST order some caramels.

The Marshmallow Studio. If you haven’t heard this name, you’ve been under a rock. The Marshmallow Studio has revolutionized marshmallow treats, creating some of the most detailed, edible party favors in any theme or character imaginable. Alejandra was kind enough to spend the whole day helping with set up and she is just as sweet as her mallow creations. I instantly knew she had to have the flamingo. What she created was beyond what I had ever envisioned. These adorable, pink flamingos are completely edible! I placed them in an old tool box with styrofoam and blue tissue paper. They were wading in an oasis waiting to go home with each guest! I lost count at how many people could not believe they were made of marshmallow. AMAZING! So, so cute and fun. I’m a huge fan. She also hosts classes so check out her website for more info.

I love seeing something unique in the industry and when I went onto The Sweetest Affair’s website I was quickly intrigued. They specialize in handmade lollipop bouquets and custom flower favors. These creations are truly works of edible art. You must head over to her site and check out all the gorgeous displays. She took the patterned paper from Paper & Cakes designs and turned them into beautiful petals for each custom lollipop flower. Not only were these displayed on the dessert station, they were found in vases throughout the shower and definitely caught everyone’s eye. They provided the perfect edible floral bouquets for this safari and I cannot wait to place an order with her for future events. LOVE THEM!

You can’t have a safari without binoculars and safari hats! Allyson Jane has been donating to Operation Shower for many many events and I have been dying to see her creations in person. She designed these fun cookies that made their debut on a bed of grass. They were the perfect size and tasted so good! Sometimes decorated cookies don’t taste that great and it’s all about the design. These were such a sweet surprise as they tasted DELICIOUS and looked perfect. Allyson Jane is a true artist and these cookies disappeared in the blink of an eye! Check out he website for photos of her fabulous confections.

I wanted each mom to go home with a safari animal so we cut out Paper & cake characters and make chocolate pretzel favor bags for all the guests. The palette that they are hanging on was found by a dumpster. No joke! I saw it and instantly knew they’d make the perfect display. I attached each bag with a clothespin and propped it on against the table on some vintage trunks. How easy is that?!?

Bring on the monkeys!! A Twist of Cake is a cake pop genius. I am in awe of what she can make out of a cake pop! For baby showers, she makes characters or shapes into baby rattles. For reals!! I knew she had to have the monkeys. How cute are they?!? I check her Facebook page daily for new designs. If you dream it, she can make it! These pops were red velvet and so scrumptious. I saw moms taking two or three as they couldn’t believe it was cake under there! I used flower vases for the display vessels. I wrapped pink and orange yarn and added some of the patterned paper to the tops, filled them with lemon heads and stuck the pops in. They had their own, bright trees and looked so cute on display. A Twist of Cake also gives classes and is constantly creating new characters.

I know you’re all dying to know about the cake. It shouldn’t even be called a cake. It should be called an edible masterpiece. I have been a huge fan of Hey There, Cupcake! for a  long time and had the pleasure of meeting Stevi at the Hostess with the Mostess launch party where designed an insane Alice inspired creation. When I was told she was donating a cake for Operation Shower, I couldn’t have been more excited. I knew it had to be the centerpiece for the whole station and set aside the perfect crates to display it one. Every single detail was edible. From the flowers made of rice paper and fondant to the edible chevron design and the rice krispie elephant. That elephant was amazingly sculpted and dusted with edible disco glitter. Hey There, Cupcake! did such an amazing job of incorporating the colors and feel of the table into her cake. It could not have been more perfect and people were snapping photos left and right. And guess what…it was chocolate salted caramel flavored. GET OUT! I could live off the frosting/filling alone. I still can’t stop staring at it. LOVE!

And now, I will leave you with this funny flamingo that I couldn’t resist placing on the table. He was a white elephant gift that I won. My dad found him at a thrift store and he’s full of personality.

A special, HUGE thank you to the photographers at Operations Shower. Nicole Benitez Photography and Jackie Culmer Photography captured all the sweet moments. The Pixel Studio provided some detailed shots as well.

Please help Operation Shower continue their amazing work by donating or gifting items from their Amazon wishlist. These showers make such a huge, positive influence on the families that they support.

I became involved with Operation Shower after their Chief Event Planner, Amy Belle Isle, contacted me a couple of years ago regarding our Sweet Skewers. I have been sending sweet donations whenever possible and hope you will find it in your heart to do the same! You can donate here or they now have an Amazon wishlist that makes it super easy to donate items for their Shower in a Box.  This organization is not only phenomenal because of the way they have found a need and filled it, but the people behind Operation Shower are absolutely amazing individuals. I have grown to love and become friends with many sweet people involved and with all the talent at this shower, it took the cake!

Operation Shower provides spectacular baby showers for military families in need and let me tell you…these deserving pregger bellies are spoiled in the best way. If you or someone you know has ever had a baby, you know that being pregnant, delivering, and having a newborn comes with it’s own trials and adjustments. Imagine adding on the stress of deployment and the fact that most of these daddies don’t get to be there for most of or all of the pregnancy and most times even the birth of their children. That’s where I commend these women and families. Babies are the ultimate joy in life and this is such a special way to celebrate!

Now onto the shower. YAY! This shower was unique in that 12 designers were brought in to design their own tablescapes. The theme, “Sunshine Safari” came to life when Paper & Cake designed a slew of adorable printables and designs to incorporate into our tables. Her attention to detail and the fun pop of color instantly had me intrigued. The whole collection is available here. After you see all the photos below, it’ll be easy to recreate your own “Sunshine Safari”.

On top of that, Pottery Barn Kids allotted each designer a budget to acquire anything we wanted to use from the website as part of our design into our tables. I squealed with delight and spent hours browsing through all the possibilities. Pottery Barn Kids…are you kidding me? Heaven!

The community of designers and Operation Shower started this Pinterest board as a way to get the creative juices flowing. It was so much fun!

Held at the beautiful Torrey Pines in San Diego, we spent set up day braving the wind and rain. It was a challenge as mother nature was not cooperating and most designers would have to leave their table set up until the morning of. Our frizzy hair left something to be desired but let me tell you, at one point I stopped to look around at all the familiar faces and it just made me smile. Everyone was sweet as can be, flexible, helpful and joyous the whole way through. The talented Dez & Tam Photography were there to capture set up day moments. You can view all the photos from set up day here. Love it!

Birdies for the Brave  partnered up with Operation Shower to provide 40 deserving military families with a dream shower at the PGA Tour, Farmer’s Insurance Open. This special day was presented by Datron World Communications, and sponsored by Pottery Barn Kids, with support from Carousel Designs and Carl’s Jr. Thank goodness shower day was beautiful. The sun was out and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Jackie Culmer Photography and Nicole Benitez Photography provided beautiful photography for the day of. You can view the full albums of their work here and here. Be sure to check it out. They captured so many amazing moments!

As the mommies started arriving, Project Nursery had the sweetest set up where The Pixel Studio took belly shots of the mommies and the Project Nursery team printed and handed them out as a keepsake. I remember seeing one mom open her photo and she gently put her hand over her mouth and gasped. “This is beautiful”, she said with tears in her eyes. How sweet!!

The Emcee, noted celebrity event planner Brian Worley, was energetic and fun as he introduced various special guests who gave away gifts. At one point, he walked around to have the moms say a little bit about their husbands and their story. Such brave soldiers, overseas and at home! Amazing.

The guests were in for a real treat when the fabulous recording artist Michelle Penn performed her songs Welcome Me Home and Lucky during the shower. To see her live was pretty rad.

Carls Jr. rolled up in a food truck and provided fresh, delicious burgers and fries to everyone. Lemme tell you…after an early morning and so much excitement, this was THE perfect meal to sit down and enjoy. It smelled amazing, too!

On to the tears. I usually do pretty well until the Shower in a Box goes out and the supporting companies start raffling off gifts. Of course, Pottery Barn Kids brought on the water works when they announced that each mom would go home with a Pottery Barn Kids crib. Yes…each mom…a crib…a Pottery Barn Kids crib!!

A lot of thought and love went into this shower and I enjoyed every second of it, especially the design challenge!! Are you ready for this jelly? Check out all the amazing tables. Each one was carefully created by a separate designer. I got to meet and hang out with all of these lovely ladies and let me tell you…what an inspirational, sweet and talented bunch. I miss them already!

The following are only a few photos from each table along with the designer, what pieces they used from Pottery Barn Kids, and (as hard as it is because I loved so many things about each table), what my favorite detail was. Thanks, Soiree Event Designs for providing a list of the Pottery Barn Kids products that each designer used. I stole your info.!

Table design by Paper & CAKE. I LOVE the stuffed animals that they made out of the printable safari animals. Yes. They MADE them. LOVE! You can get the look here. My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Wood capital letters
Map retro clocks
Onesies

Table design by Hostess with the Mostess. The use of yarn in this table especially in the amazing centerpiece and criss-crossed on the plates added such a whimsical touch. My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Wire elephants
Lifefactory bottles
Spencer utensils (on the chair backs)

Table design by Thoughtfully Simple. Tori placed a white giraffe sitting on moss inside a cake dome and I couldn’t stop staring at it. It gave me a TON of ideas for future centerpieces. This is such a clever way to add a cute, safari touch and still make it look whimsical and fun. My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Lifefactory bottles
Elephant sheets

Table design by Maddycakes Muse. I watched Michelle hand pin each felt flower strategically around this table and I LOVE IT! What a perfect way to add some color to a white tablecloth. My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
White butterfly mobile
“Wish” wood wall hanging

Table design by Your Bash! The centerpiece was absolutely stunning. With the foam core mounted printables, ribbon and fullness..it was definitely an eye catcher. My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Plush soothing sounds giraffes
Lion plush collection (blue)
Elephant plush thumbies

Table design by The Tomkat Studio. I about died when I saw the coffee filter chair backs. I mean, how genius is that?!? My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Animal plates
Mini dot sheets
Butterfly stacking hat storage boxes
Tiered cake stand

Table design by A Blissful Nest. I loved the little animals popping out of the favor boxes on the backs of the chairs. The fan made the perfect backdrop to make this idea pop. I love it! My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Wire elephants
Wooden blocks
Wooden rattle (on top of the napkins)

Table design by Shawna Brockmeier Styled Events. This table screamed coziness to me. I wanted to snuggle in it and that plush tree centerpiece? SO CUTE! My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Elephant plush rattles
Safari plush animals (giraffe and elephant)

Table design by Soiree Event Design. I thought it was such an adorable concept to have the elephant sitting in the booster having a tea party. Totally kid friendly and my favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Linen plush elephant
Porcelain tea set
Clip-on booster chair
Ceramic pink elephant bank

Table design by Cupcakes & Cutlery. I got butterflies in my tummy when I saw the adorable “1st birthday” party kits that Sharon designed for each mommy at this table. How thoughtful. My favorite!

Pottery Barn Kids products used:
Leather rhino (National Geographic Safari Animal)
Wire elephants

Table design by A to Zebra Celebrations. I loved the handmade zebra/burlap table runner and the way she wrapped the tree centerpiece in burlap. It’s the simplest of things but the careful designer eye that makes it really stand out.

Pottery Barn Kids products used:

Easter tree Centerpiece

Butterfly stacking hat storageIt truly was a magical day and one that I am definitely ready for a designer reunion! Thank you Operation Shower and all the volunteers and donating companies for such a fabulous experience.Make sure you check out each designers blog as they are each posting more details on their table designs and how you can “get the look”! Come back tomorrow for our details on the dessert station!!

At the beginning of the month, Intertwined and I had the pleasure of setting up a few tablescapes to bring some Halloween spirit to the store. I am a huge fan of Intertwined. Part of their “about us” section embodies exactly who they are and what I’ve seen them do is truly magical. “We strive to elevate the brilliance of your love through an exquisite event that showcases your style. Let us handle the planning, so you can enjoy the moment you ‘become intertwined.’” How perfect is that? You must check out their portfolio and stay in touch via their blog.

For the tablescapes, the goal was to utilize as much of the items sold in InvenTori as possible, giving shoppers ideas on how they can create their own gorgeous tablescape or Sweet Station. There are so many beautiful pieces to choose from!

Intertwined transformed the antique table into something straight out of a magazine. With place settings, folded napkins decanters, a natural runner and lavender sprigs to personalized menu’s by Cherish Paperie, every detail was well thought out. I definitely want to recreate this look at home. All the plates, goblets, medicine bottles…pretty much everything used in their setting was “picked” from various locations around the shop. It was fun seeing the girls flit about and see how creativity in motion.

I called upon The Polka Dot Pickle to create an adorable fabric pennant banner and some of the paper goods. She also helped with the covered embroidery hoops that we used as decor. I am in LOVE with this new shop and cannot wait until she’s back from her honeymoon to see what’s next. She can sew just about anything, is a crafting queen and is pretty much a creative genius. Aren’t the spiders hanging from the banner just the perfect touch? You can see it happily hanging over our cake from last year’s Love at First Bite dessert station.

For the candy station, we used cake stands, mixing bowls, a vintage scale to display the sweets. We wanted to include some gourmet candy items along with the traditional Halloween favorites. The table is full of everything from pumpkin spice malt balls, candy coated gumdrops and candy corn to sour candies, gummy frogs, pumpkin creme mellows and huckleberry taffy. We also have our Halloween Sweet Skewers in shop! To enjoy, simply ask for a favor box and you will be handed a black cat take away to fill with all the treats you want for only $7.

Now on to the giveaway!! If you have or are planning on stopping by InvenTori, do it before October 31st. Snap a picture of either display (we’d love to see you in front of it) and email it to info@sweetsindeed.com. We’ll post it on our Facebook page and enter you into a drawing to win a dozen of our Holiday Sweet Skewers. We have some fun Hannukah and Christmas ones coming out soon. We will announce the winner on October 31st!

Trick or Treat!!

I started with one of our custom table tutu’s and had a pinafore made to look like Alice’s dress. Of course we had to hang lanterns over the top and 2 velvet chairs adorned the ends. Later, the birthday girl sat in the red one and blew out her candles.

I really wanted to create custom teacup cake stands so went on a hunt for the perfect pieces. You can find tons of white cups and plates at thrift stores, dollar stores and Home Goods. Use E-6000 glue to adhere the pieces together. It won’t foam up and after 24 hours, they’re pretty sturdy.

I did try painting them with all the approved and recommended porcelain and china paints but with them already being glazed, it was hard to get rid of the streaky look. I decided to adorn them using various stickers, ribbon and decorative scrapbook pieces. I loved how they turned out! You could use just about anything and make them match any color palette or theme! They quickly became focal points on the table.

The kids filled custom favor boxes with edible and non-edible treats. Of course you have to have “Eat me” cookies but I wanted them to look as similar to the ones that Alice ate as possible. I love how they turned out! We ordered the Mad Hatter Marshmallow pops from The Marshmallow Studio after seeing them at the HWTM launch party and thought they were adorable.  I also had to have hedgehogs so I called upon Vanilla Bake Shop to adorn their mini cupcakes with little critter and design french macarons as “painted red roses”. They did an amazing job on the cake as well! Photo props and tart shaped erasers went home with all the guests.

That’s enough about that…on to the photos!! I’ll be acquiring party pics from the photographer soon but in the meantime, here’s our set up photographed by The Pixel Studio.

We met some amazing vendors, fans, and made lots of new friends. Check out Petit Nest, Project Nursery, Layla Grace, Fresh Chick Design Studio, Little Crown Interiors, Oopsy Daisy, The Pump Station, and the Plush blog for more posts on vendors who were there and photos from the event. I didn’t get a chance to photograph other set-ups but let me tell you, there were some adorable designs out there and some killer products!

We decided to use this opportunity to give a sneak peek into a whole new children’s line that we are launching. We have been working round the clock on our new online store and will be offering lots of Sweets Indeed originals to everyone! This Circus station is the first of what we like to call “Party Stations”. It is a candy buffet station with non-edible treats as well. The perfect balance of sweets and take-home treats.

We worked with a phenomenal illustrator, Sophie Hogarth, who came up with the original Circus characters. These characters and some fabulous fabric patterns became our inspiration. From popcorn boxes, lion tamers taffy, and pinwheel fabric favor boxes to clown noses and funny photo prop pieces, this table was a hit with parent and kids alike!

A special thank you to the following companies for helping to make our table and giveaway’s a success. My absolute favorite candy supplier,  Candy.com provided all the candy for the take-away boxes and table. They are truly your one stop shop for all things sweet and they’ll ship anywhere! Tom Clark Confections donated the delicious gourmet popcorn. You can purchase direct from their site.  Vanilla Bake Shop created the amazing cakes! I am always impressed with how they coordinate with our vision. My fav!

We will be offering complete party packages in our new online store so check back soon! For now, you can purchase individual items through our etsy shop.

We hope you enjoy the show!!

All photography by The Pixel Studio.

I have started using Pinterest as a place to collect inspiration for future projects, feed my creative streak, and sit in awe at all the magical boards that other people are putting together. If you follow us at our Pinterest account HERE you may catch a glimpse at the inspiration behind some of the sweet concoctions that we are working on.

Pastels

Gypsy

Another new obsession I have is with…tissue fringe. Sweet Emilia Jane brought shades of tissue paper to a recent shoot and showed me how to put together a tissue fringe backdrop. It is so simple to do and makes THE perfect backdrop and decor for just about anything. I couldn’t find a tutorial online so I just may have to create one to share in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled for our shoot on Ruffled where you may catch a glimpse of the one we handcrafted in the photos! You can also buy tissue draping at several online stores. Just search for “tissue fringe drape”. Here’s some tissue fringe eye candy that I couldn’t resist sharing!

Tissue Garland via Shop Sweet Lulu

Fringe paper tissue bundles via Mykonos

Wish Cupcake Toppers via Little Pumpkin Papers

Adorable fringe lined emergency kit via Southern Girl Academy

Tissue Fringe Chandelier and decor via The Knotty Bride

Of course we had to show some Confetti System love!

Colors we put together for an upcoming event.

Happy creating!

This gift set includes a dishwasher safe, handled mason jar mug filled with strawberry cream piccolo’s (strawberry licorice tubes stuffed with a sweet creme filling). We love packaging that can be re-used and re-purposed. Enjoy your favorite beverage, pot a plant, or keep trinkets in it! Tasty cinnamon roll taffy fills the decorated glassine bag and you will also receive 4oz. of our gourmet chocolate bark in custom packaging.

You may choose from the following chocolate bark options:
Milk Chocolate Pretzel
Milk Chocolate Oreo
White Chocolate Coconut Lime
Dark Chocolate Coffee w/Espresso
Almond Toffee

Your treats will come packaged in burlap with a gingham bow and we’ll even include a personalized note to your special someone. We only have 12 sets in stock so they are definitely a limited item.

We also have one of my personal favorites…Hammond’s Mini Ribbon Candy. This 6oz. bag of ribbon candy includes savory flavors like Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Very Berry, and Pineapple. Talk about eye candy! These look so cute displayed in a candy dish for all to enjoy.

Thank you for stopping by and Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing women out there.

I was honored to create the beverage and dessert station for this baby shower and am so thrilled to share with you the amazing people who donated to this event. The Pixel Studio donated all of the photography services and again, blew me away with the moments he captured. On my blog, I focus on the sweets and decor vendors as that is what I am directly involved with BUT you can get more info. on the organizations Facebook page and website.

When I was told that Sophie the Giraffe was donating a Sophie to each and every mommy, her speckled prints inspired the decor. We went with a giraffe/grassland look and added subtle items throughout. Sophie is THE best teething toy out there and I know many people who’s kids hang onto them long after their teeth have grown in. They are celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year!

I instantly thought of Plates and Napkins and all of their designer party supplies. This is not your average party store. Not only do they carry every theme and color palette designs imaginable, but they have such chic, modern and hip designs as well. I could easily create a whole table around some of their plates. No joke! They always have daily deals going on so if you love to throw parties need something pretty to look at, look no further! Plates and Napkins so graciously donated the perfect giraffe print cups, napkins and plates.

I am also a HUGE fan of IZZE drinks and a beverage station is not complete without it. IZZE comes in lots of yummy flavors and they make it easy to color coordinate to your event! I never have to spruce up or decorate around and IZZE bottle. They just look perfect as is so I was ecstatic when they donated enough fizzy fun to go around. I know a few families who had never tried it before and it certainly created some buzz around the shower. There are plenty of places you can go to enjoy this sparkling juice drink, simply search for a location near you via their website. Look for their dollar off coupons on Facebook as well. My favorite flavor? Blackberry. YUM!

For the table decor, Tulips and Trophies in Lake Elsinore, donated the beautiful, floral centerpieces which we sat atop giraffe print risers. These were made simply by covering cardboard boxes with fabric! Each mom went home with not only a Sophie, but some other adorable treats as well. I am a repeat customer of A Precious Memory’s etsy shop. She creates gorgeous shoe favor boxes out of paper. You may have seen her designs in our Paris party. She was kind enough to donate adorable keepsake baby booties which drew lots of oooh’s and aaaah’s.

Her daughter has an etsy shop called EmeeLou’s. She sells the cutest lollipops, animals, and corsages all made of washcloths. EmeeLou’s donated washcloth cupcakes and I heard many mom’s saying they wanted to display their washcloth cupcake as part of the bathroom decor. They are just too cute!

We made fabric favor boxes filled with toffee almonds and adorned with a camo pacifier. These were so much fun to make and we’ve had so many inquiries since then. There will be many styles and themes available in store soon!

For the dessert station, we covered a large piece of foam core with some fun, green, wood grain fabric. Covering foam core is the easiest way to create a solid backdrop in an area that needs it. It gives your Sweet Station a stage. The giraffe print cake was donated Mama B’s Cakes in Glendora. This cake quickly became the centerpiece.

The fun cupcakes and delicious mini chocolate eclairs arrived from Sweet Layers Cakes and Pastries in Murrieta.

The adorable chocolate oreo pops are a staple product of Half Baked Co. in Valencia. There is tons of eye candy and cute treats on their site AND they always use local, organic ingredients and carry a really yummy line of gluten free, vegan and low sugar options.

We brought in the chocolate truffle, lemon meringue tarts and caramel toffee popcorn. Bite size bursts of flavor at it’s best!

Happy parents left with lots of loot!

We recently gave away one of our Gourmet 3-Tiered Easter Baskets on Plush and today we’re offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders until 5pm this evening. Pay no shipping on anything ordered in store! Simply share with us your favorite thing about Easter and use code BUNNYRABBIT upon checkout. Make your Easter sweet and chic! Click HERE to visit our shop.

I was blessed to know this man as a father figure, role model, hero, friend and more. The love, support, and patriotism that surrounded his funeral is like none I had ever witnessed. I am easily moved to tears every time I think of the legacy he has left and the void here on earth that will never be filled.

He was a strong, courageous, man of honor who’s achievements were vast and yet he’d humbly chalk them up to “part of doing his job”. He served as a deputy in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and among many other things, risked his life to save others as a paramedic on Air Rescue 5. To know him has been a honor.

I know that it is rare to meet someone in this day and age who has not witnessed cancer in some way. I lost both of my grandmothers to cancer and pray daily for the healing of a mother figure of mine who is fighting for her life right now. The least I can do is raise awareness and encourage you and your loved ones to  undergo simple cancer screening. Whether it’s doing monthly self exams, seeing a dermatologist for skin checks, or having a yearly physical, it’s never to early to take preventative measures. You can go here for more information.

Please join the efforts of Sweets Indeed, and his family and friends by donating to Melanoma Research and sponsoring us as we join Team Hondo this year at Miles For Melanoma. I will be walking in the memory of Jim, and for the lovely Taylor Chance who is still fighting today.

By funding research, we are getting closer and closer to better treatment options and a cure.

If you are local to Fullerton, CA, join us on May 21st. You can register here. Make sure to join Team Hondo!

Donate here. Please share your story with us. If we ban together in support and love, we can beat this disease!

The following video is courtesy of The Pixel Studio.

Goodbye To A Hero from Shannon Dannettelle on Vimeo.

One of my favorite little tricks on this table was the sugar cookies. If you aren’t good at decorating, transform plain cookies by adding a little food coloring to your cookie batter. I love the pop of color!

The owl cupcakes were made with Oreo cookie halves and Reeces Pieces for the eyes and nose. It’s that easy! The mother of the birthday girl made the cake herself using a giant cupcake cake pan. We made the cake bunting and birthday girl garland using a Cricut Expression.

Can you spot all the owls on this table?

Photography by: The Pixel Studio

We also found an inexpensive tablecloth and “table skirt” at a party discount store. I love the table skirt look and this was only $3.99!!

All of the little letters and leaf decor were made using the Cricut Expression. Glue your cut outs onto a piece of string and voila…garland! So easy! My favorite element was the paper mache dinosaur eggs filled with candy. These were so easy to make. I used balloons as the structure and built my paper mache around it. Once hardened, I cut each balloon shape in half and hand painted them to match! Fill them with jelly bean eggs and you’re set!

Guests enjoyed mini strawberry shortcake dessert shots, cupcakes, lemon and pistachio french macarons, assorted candy and of course…there HAD to be a smash cake for the birthday boy. We also made chocolate dipped dinosaur shaped rice krispie treats by using a cookie cutter. If you can find a cookie cutter to match your theme, you can make a shaped rice krispie to match!

Design/Styling, candy and rice krispie treats: Sweets Indeed

Photography by: The Pixel Studio

Desserts by: Sweet and Saucy Shop

I also feel blessed to have grown close to a lot of fabulous people in the industry, blogging community and fans of Sweets Indeed. I decided to give you an little peek as to what a bit of my driving force is. Moments like these are why I love what I do. Weddings, birthdays, births and all the other monumental events in our lives are what I love be part of. It’s the sweet memories that stay with us forever.

It all started with the proposal, which our daughter played a big role in. I really had no clue what was going on as it is a common occurrence for her to “perform” for the whole family.

Our amazing photographer, Jim Kennedy, put together photos from our big day in this video montage.

Happy Anniversary!!

Venue: The Richard Nixon Library
Photography: Jim Kennedy Photographers
Caterer: Jason’s Catered Events
Candy Station: Sweets Indeed
Cake, cupcakes, macarons: Vanilla Bake Shop
Bridal, bridal party, flower girls and mother of the bride attire: Jack Forrest Couture
Hair: Tara Alexander
Makeup: Aryn Adams
Florist/Coordinator: Platinum Events
Band: OC Vertigo
DJ: Mystical Vibrations
Photobooth: Cheesy Photobooths

I have been following the efforts of Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours and have to say, I am so proud of the blogging community. It is absolutely amazing how quickly everyone has pulled together to help spread the word and raise donations for ShelterBox. I feel that amongst all the creativity, this is a community filled with the most compassionate, caring and supportive people.

Tomorrow, Sweets Indeed will be involved in a bloggers day of silence. I will not post on our blog, nor will I post anything on Twitter or Facebook unless it is directly related to For Japan With Love.

Here’s how you can get involved. It’s so easy!!

There are two parts to it.

Fundraising:

For Japan With Love has a direct link on the website to our fundraising page for ShelterBox. ShelterBox was one of THE first organizations asked by Japan to help and were on hand on the Saturday after the quake.  Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.

Please check it out and whatever you can contribute will be so appreciated.
—

Bloggers Day of Silence:

Anyone that has a blog can help out with this one.

The aim is just raise awareness and respect and acknowledge the devastation going on in Japan.

The guidelines are simple.
1.  This coming Friday, March 18th, no posts at all on your blog.
2.  Please post a blog post about what you will be doing this Friday whenever possible in hopes to spread the word and whoever else would like to join in. You all can check out what Lydia of Ever-Ours did for her’s here or how we did ours here and do it your way if you’d like.  We’ll be posting a reminder post on Thursday evening on my blog too.
3. Tweet and Re-Tweet the shiznit out of the link to http://www.forjapanwithlove.com please.
4. Encourage your readers to contribute to donate shelter to Japan.
Whatever anyone can contribute will be appreciated.
Every little helps.

Feel free to ask other bloggers you like to join in on this.  Whatever impact we can make will be so awesome.

If you’d like to join in, please leave a comment with your blog name and a link too. We would like to acknowledge who will be participating and give them our thanks. Grab the flyer above and either of the badges below and feel free to use it in your post.

We wanted to share the details of the main table. Any piece of furniture can be transformed to coordinate with your event with the right piece of fabric. By draping this dining room table with long, black lace and a tulle runner, a beautiful tablescape was created! Check your local fabric stores for inspiration and take your table outside on a nice day for a beautiful, natural backdrop.

Each place setting was marked with a doily place setting, damask plate and cloth napkin. The chairs were backed with poms made from coffee filters and a cute eiffel tower adorned the ribbon.  Creature Comforts has a fabulous diy tutorial on the coffee filter poms here. We also made tutu chair skirts to line the seat of each chair which we hope to bring a tutorial to you soon.

The black cake stands were made by hand painting vintage candlesticks found at a thrift store a topped with a wooden crafting plate. I LOVE making cake stands because they can be painted and lacquered to match any color palette! Simply use wood glue to attach the plate to the candlestick and paint! We get our wooden cake plates here!

We shared details in regards to the hand painted hat boxes on Hostess with the Mostess. Check it out for the inside scoop and a link to where we purchased the hat boxes.

The guests enjoyed french macarons, chocolate eclairs, mini cupcakes, buttercream cookies, raspberry tarts and more. Each girl took home a decorated beverage bottle filled with raspberry sparkling water as well. They had a lot of fun tasting treats and passing desserts around.

It was a joy working with this adorable family.

Enjoy!

This post will feature the cake station. We wanted there to be a separate place for the big “Happy Birthday” moment, and set up a cake station inside the house. A whimsical tulle backdrop and hanging eiffel tower medallions created the perfect backdrop for the vintage dresser. We used custom, hand painted hat boxes to display each mini cake. Each guest took home a paper shoe favor boxes, custom popcorn cone and hat box. When it was time to sing, the birthday girl and her guests gathered around the vintage dresser for a big surprise. Each guest found their special cake and were completely immersed in the festivities.

We worked with the talented Vanilla Bake Shop on these cakes. From the initial sketch, to the final product, I am always impressed with the intricate detailing that goes into each. The girls were thrilled!

VENDOR CREDITS & RESOURCES:
– Styling, styling and some desserts: Sweets Indeed
– Photography: The Pixel Studio
– Cakes, mini cupcakes, french macarons: Vanilla Bake Shop
– Shoe Favors: A Precious Memory
– Medallions and Popcorn Cones: Little Pumpkin Paper
– Vintage Dresser: Found Vintage Rentals

The above is just one of the reasons why I loved bringing some sweetness to this adorable baby shower. I believe in what organizations like Operation Shower and March of Dimes are doing and the people behind the scenes are phenomenal people. This particular shower was held at the Torrey Pines Golf Course during the Farmers Insurance Open. The setting…stunning. The staff associated with each one of these organizations…top notch.

Photography by: Widyn Photography Taken from the Operation Shower Blog.

The remaining photos were shot and edited by: The Pixel Studio

I had donated Sweet Skewers to Operation Shower before and when the lovely Amy from Stem Parties said they were coming to San Diego, I knew I wanted to be there and do more.

To top it off, the amazingly talented Jen of Hostess with the Mostess would be creating the branding and decor for the event, and Heavenly Blooms was providing beautiful floral arrangements. What a dream team! When I first received an idea board and the beginning drafts of the “paper goods” from Jen, I was blown away. She just gets it! This made our “job” easier as we used all of her creations and morphed them into items for the Sweet Station. I have to say this again…it was such a  fun project!! I even got to meet Paper and Cake who so graciously volunteered and posted about the event here. There were so many fabulous people!

There were so many talented, creative, giving people behind this event and to say it warmed my heart watching all the volunteers, is really an understatement. Here is THE WHAT, THE HOW, and THE WHY behind this event. Please visit the Stem Parties blog for a recap as well. Here and Here.  You don’t want to miss anything!!!

On our end, we would not be able to give back without the donations we receive from some SUPER sweet vendors. We love these people tremendously and were blown away by THEIR willingness to give.

When I knew the theme was Sunshine Farms, I instantly thought…we HAVE to see if we can get our hand on some prop pieces from Found Vintage Rentals. I am in LOVE with Found as they have a plethora of amazing pieces that can be used for any theme. Having the right add-on’s truly take any design over the top. They were extremely generous to donate not only the pieces for the dessert station, but tables for the spread provided by Whole Foods, pails and chalkboards used as decor, and lots of additional items that you just HAVE to have when throwing a farm party.  It would not have been the same without their collection and we are truly grateful. My favorite part? The vintage wine rack which we used to place custom popcorn cones in. I cannot wait to use this again! Thank you Found Vintage Rentals!!!

Now on to the desserts!  Vanilla Bake Shop and their delicious Southern Banana Pudding dessert shots were a huge hit. You haven’t had banana pudding the way they do it and it is SO GOOD and SO addicting! They generously donated all the dessert shots to this event and I loved watching the guests take their first bite. Many people haven’t seen dessert shots yet and let me tell you..I saw some with 2-3 in their hands. It’s safe to say, they LOVED them. Vanilla Bake Shop is local to Santa Monica. You can stop by and enjoy everything from specialty cakes and cupcakes to french macarons. Thank you Vanilla Bake Shop!!!

My latest indulgence is fudge. When it comes to fudge, no one makes it quite like Jewel Of The Lion. She ships nationwide and has a huge assortment of gourmet flavors. She donated my absolute favorite flavor, strawberry cheesecake, and they were perfect! We placed little flag toppers in each one and displayed them in pie tins. It was a challenge to not allow someone to walk away with the whole tin full! Thank you Jewel Of The Lion!!!

Pies. I have a feeling pies are going to be “the thing” this year. Last year we had a craze of cake pops and this year…pies take the cake. I was introduced to a true gem in Porch Pies. I had never had a buttermilk pie before and OH MY GOODNESS I am sold. Porch pies not only donated mini buttermilk and chocolate pies, they provided our take home gifts for each mommy-to-be as well. They were a huge hit and so, so yummy. Thank you Porch Pies!!!

I always have to have a “mascot” for our tables. I tend to sneak in a butterfly, or some other little creature and this adorable, adorable cow stole my heart. She just warmed the table and made me smile each time I saw her. Half Baked Co. are the masterminds behind mouthwatering gluten free cakes, cutie cakes and more. You’re in luck because they deliver locally in Los Angeles and ship nationwide! Due to a mishap along the way, the full cake didn’t make it onto the table BUT the detailing and time they put into our little mascot did not go unnoticed. She was quite the talk of the table. Thank you Half Baked Co.!!!

What’s a dessert station without some yummy cupcakes? Nothing! We love HeavenScent Cakes. She created the stunning purple lace cake for our Halloween station and is a local favorite. There are a lot of cupcakeries and we are extremely picky. Her flavors, ingredients, and talent make her stand out. They are always perfectly moist, and extremely tasty. Pure perfection in a cupcake. HeavenScent Cakes generously donated all of the mini cupcakes and there was not a single one left. We topped each one with their own little animal buddy and placed them in egg cartons. This is my new favorite way to display cupcakes. You are truly Heaven Scent!!!

Last but not least…how cute are those cookies?!? Rizza Raglin, a pastry chef in San Diego must have been up for days hand piping each cookie to match the overall look and feel of the event. Not only were they detailed and so cute…they were the perfect sugar cookie. Sweet and soft down to the last bite. Rizza individually packaged each cookie so that guests could take them home as well. I’m not sure if any made it past the shower because people were grabbing handfuls. DELISH!!! Thank you Rizza!!!

There were so many details to this event that I loved and it was so precious seeing the newborn babies and pregger moms being showered with love and gifts. If you would like to donate to this amazing organization, please go to Operation Shower If you are interested in donating sweets as part of a future Sweet Station styled by Sweets Indeed, please contact info@sweetsindeed.com We will continue to work with Operation Shower on future events.

Love is in the air and it’s sweet!

Pernilla’s Something Swedish is offering Sweets Indeed fans 10% off with the coupon code GOODFORYOU! You have until Tuesday the 25th to use it so hurry over and try something new!

Her banana chocolate brittle is amazing and the truffles are delightful. We also love her giant chocolate covered pretzels with everything from chocolate sprinkles to coconut flakes. There’s sure to be something for everyone in this delicious shop!

Pennie’s story is quite exciting and we are thrilled to have her in the states.

“Having a mother and a grandmother as professional cooks and bakers, I quickly followed in their foot steps. I was so eager to learn everything they knew about, cooking Delicious and Healthy foods. Good quality and Natural/Organic ingredients have always been very important to me and my family, and when I started to make Gourmet Chocolates and Candy, I learned more and more how to make the majority of them Natural/Organic. I also wanted to have more choices for people out there with allergies, such as gluten and dairy free products.

In 1992 I went to school to become a child care provider/teacher and I worked in different kinds of day care centers during the years. Among those was a Montisori Day care center and I also worked with children who had special needs. At the same time I worked  at a stable taking care of horses and animals, which I have a huge passion for. I Grew up part time on a farm and then later on I owned my own farm where I had my own horses and other animals.
After a few years I went back to school to become an Aromatherapist. My interest for the human body and soul is undescribable, and when I was finally done with school I opened my own Beauty Salon, which was wonderful and successful!

In 2005 I left my country, beautiful Sweden, and moved to the U.S.  This was such a huge step/journey for me. I never thought I would ever move to another country, but I did it for the Love of my life; My Wonderful husband. My very dear friend ended up buying my horse Lilly from me after a while, and now every time I visit Sweden I get to see her as much as I want to; which is so wonderful!

Since I am a person who is filled with passion for so many different things in life, I started selling my Gourmet Chocolates and my other creations such as my Jewelry, while my Swedish Beauty Salon was blossoming; and I totally Loved it! When I came to the States it was so clear to me that I had to continue my passion for making my Gourmet Chocolates and my Jewelry here in Iowa, so I opened my business in 2007 and that is how *Pernilla’s Something Swedish* was born. So now I am in full bloom all over again on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and living Happily Ever After!”

It was all over after that. The Caramel Jar makes the BEST caramels. Talk about the perfect consistency and sweetness. Their most popular flavor, Fleur de Sel is out of this world. I can’t seem to get enough of the cashew vanilla either. They come individually wrapped and you can even send them in a cute mason jar to a friend!

Here is a personal peek into how The Caramel Jar came to be as told by Nicole.

“I have to admit I have a love of food – all food really. Especially if it’s made from scratch. Honestly, my daily life revolves around food – what I’m making, what ingredients I’m searching for, or where we’re going out. My husband and I hunt for tasty food like scavengers and we’ve been to many parts of New York City and beyond to satisfy our cravings.

Having a passion for food and spending my 20′s in New York fine tuning my cooking skills led me to discover that I can make a mean caramel! This discovery was perfect since I have a huge weakness for things created from cream, sugar and vanilla, so it’s no surprise that The Caramel Jar was born!

The Caramel Jar isn’t just any caramel company! I thought, why not create yummy delicious caramels the old fashioned way, by hand and out of love, while being gentle on our environment and using only Eco-friendly candy wrappers, packaging your caramels in reusable mason jars and Eco friendly bags, and shipping your hand crafted treats in just 4 business days or less!

Thankfully, after 7 months of business we have 700+ sales on Etsy and a budding local business and I’m living an exciting life as a full time caramel maker!

p.s. Best job ever!!”

I’d say so! Sweets Indeed is proud to add The Caramel Jar caramels to our gourmet sweets list. Try them! You won’t be disappointed.