Outdoor Entertaining Ideas at The Party Press Blog

Have you checked out The Party Press?  Editor and creator, Meredith, has created a stylish, modern party site.  Meredith and I met at the Amber Housley Inspired Event, in March of this year.  I feel so lucky to have been able to get to know her and follow her great blog!  If you have a fantastic party you'd like to share, The Party Press is your place! 

 

 

 

 

 

This week, I'm over at The Party Press sharing tips for outdoor entertaining.  If you're planning a picnic or outdoor meal this long Labor Day weekend, hop over to check out my advice.  Have a very happy Labor Day weekend! 

{Recipes} - Blue Velvet Push Up Pops

 

As a child, one of the reasons I looked forward to Christmas was my grandma always made her famous Red Velvet Cake.  It was then, and still is, my favorite cake.  My hubby thinks I married him for his hotness, but it was really for his version of Red Velvet Cake that he made on our first Valentine's Day!  I'm not even going to think about telling you how many years ago that was, so don't ask!

When I found Sprinkle Bakes' version in blue, I had to try it for Kentucky game days.  I made a cupcake version of her recipe during March Madness, but thought it would work great again for my Blue & White Tailgating  party.  To make it even easier for tailgating, I put the cake in fun push up pop containers.  Push up pops are genius for tailgating because you don't have to worry about the frosting falling off or getting messed up!

The last time I made the cake, I used vinegar and buttermilk, like the recipe calls for.  This time, I just happened to be out of vinegar and didn't have any buttermilk on hand.  So, I made a couple of substitutions using lemon juice.  I don't know if it was the lemon juice or just plain luck, but this time they turned out even better than the last time I made them.  So, here's the recipe with the lemon juice modifications.  Happy Baking!

Blue Velvet Cake (adapted from Sprinkle Bakes)

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's royal blue gel icing color
• 1 small dab Wilton's violet gel icing color
• 2 1/2 cups of cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of skim milk
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 11x16 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.  Pour 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice into milk.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Using a mixer, cream sugar and butter together.  Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, combining completely after each addition.  In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, royal blue icing color, and violet icing color to form a paste.  Add paste to butter mixture, combine.  Sift together salt and flour.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with soured milk.  Add vanilla to mixture.  Combine baking powder and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, mixture should bubble.  Add baking powder, lemon juice mixture to batter, combine fully. 

Pour batter onto lined jelly roll pan.  Bake about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

 For the icing:  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.  Add sugar to butter mixture, alternately with milk, if needed, until icing is light and fluffy.

To assemble push up pops:  Using the top end of a push up pop container, available here, cut and push out circles.  Place one cake circle in the bottom of the push up pop container.  Top cake with a swirl of frosting.  Top with another cake circle and frosting swirl. 



For more great push up pops recipes, check out this great book, Push Up Pops.  It contains many fantastic recipes and styling ideas! 

{Recipes} -- Blueberry Mason Jar Pies

Being from the South, I can't get enough of mason jars!  I use them for glasses, candle holders, salad containers, and more.  One of the desserts I made for the Blue & White Tailgating Party was Blueberry Mason Jar Pies.  Mason jar pies work well for tailgating parties because they are individually sized and the containers are easy to transport.  Plus, if they go uneaten at the party, you can send them home with the other guests. 

To add a little team spirit to the pies, I cut a UK (for the University of Kentucky Wildcats) and a paw print in the tops of the pies. 

 

Blueberry Pie

3/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie or store bought pie crust

5 tablespoons butter

8 wide mouth small mason jars

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice.   Add blueberries to mixture (I use 2 cups of fresh blueberries and 2 cups of frozen blueberries).  Let sit for about 15 minutes, if you are using frozen blueberries. 

Spray the inside of the mason jars with cooking spray.    Fill with blueberry mixture, about 3/4 of the way full.   Top each jar with approximately one half of a tablespoon of butter. Reserve one tablespoon of butter for the crust. 
 

Roll out crust. Using the tops of the mason jars, cut out the top of the crust.  I did not put a bottom crust on these pies, but if you'd like to, just double your pie crust recipe.  Use alphabet cookie cutters to cut out the UK, or other team letters, from the crust.  To make the paw print crust, use the bottom end of a large icing tip to cut out the the base of the paw.  The top end of the icing tip can be used to cut three holes for the top of the paw print.  Gently press crust onto the top of the mason jar.  Crimp sides to the jar with a fork.  Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and brush over the top of the crusts. 
 

Place mason jars onto baking sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Enjoy!

 

{Mirabelle Creations Party} -- Tailgating Party Ideas and Free Printables

 

I had the opportunity to style a tailgating party for an appearnce on LEX 18's News at 12:30 program.  Before I appeared on the show, I photographed the tailgating ideas.  When designing the set up, I thought about the simplest way to set up the "table".  So, the desserts were all displayed in the back of my SUV, just like they would be if I was actually at a tailgate party.  To create a team inspired dessert table, all of the goodies incorporated the blue and white color scheme. 

 

The printables for this collection are not team specific, so they are versatile enough to be used with any blue team.  They would be great for a party for a high school team or even a NFL team.  They can all be downloaded for FREE here.  For all the party details, please scroll down. 



{Food} I started with a Coconut Cake that was purchased from the local grocery.  It was topped with the cake pennants to give it a tailgating theme (you can download the pennants here).  The Chocolate Cupcakes were also store bought, then topped with the football cupcake toppers (available here).  I love that the paper goods can turn an inexpensive, store bought treat into a custom, tailgating themed dessert without much effort.

The rest of the desserts were homemade.  The Blue Velvet Push Up Pops are a fun way to include the blue and white color scheme.  Push up pops are fantastic for tailgating because they are so easily portable.  The Blueberry Mason Jar Pies are another portable dessert.  In the crust of the mini pie, I cut a UK (for the University of Kentucky) with alphabet cookie cutters.  It's a fun surprise for guests when they open the jars!  The Oreo Pops were dipped in white chocolate, tinted blue.  Finally, the Blue Candied Popcorn was made with a syrup made from Jell-O mix.  Please check back later this week for all the recipes for these desserts.

{Decor} Decorations for this party were simple, so they would not be difficult to transport and set up at the football field.  To decorate my SUV, I hung the blue and white "Game On" banner (available here).  The banner could also decorate the front of a table or hang between the poles of a tailgating tent.  Little details, like dressing up the popcorn paper bags and adding a band of the blue and white checks around the push up pops, made all of the treats cohesive.  For the water bottles, I removed the label, then replaced it with UK packing tape.  Striped straws and football pennants dressed up the Izze soda bottles.  UK items, such as my husband's UK baseball alum blanket, a UK helmet, and UK cornhole board added team spirit to the set up.

Hope some of these ideas help you plan your next tailgating party.  And, if your team has different colors, all of these ideas could be modified to fit the colors of your team! 

{Tailgating Party} -- Tailgating Party Ideas & Free Printables

Are you ready for some football?!?!  It's tailgating season -- one of the most anticipated times of the year in the South!  This party design was photographed as part of a television appearance I will be doing this week.  I'll be discussing tailgating party ideas and have designed some free printables you can use for your tailgating party.  So, please check back later this week for all the details on this tailgating party! 

In the meantime, here are the links for the free printables:


Tailgating Party Circles

Tailgating Placecards

Tailgating Cake Flags

Tailgating Banner

{Tutorial} -- How to Make Bow Ties

For the Rat Pack / Mad Men table I designed this past weekend, little bow ties were used as napkin rings.  Since the Rat Pack often wore tuxedos with bow ties, I thought these little guys, made out of grey menswear fabric, would be the perfect place setting topper.  They would also work well adorning  candy vessels or cake stands.  And, they would be perfect for a Little Man baby shower or birthday party, too! 

 

I made sixteen of these bow ties, one for each place setting. By no means am I a good seamstress, so I promise you that they are not difficult to make. They are also very forgiving, because all of the seams are hidden once they are done.

 

 

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For instructions on how to make these, please visit Prudent Baby.  They have a fabulous tutorial, with lots of helpful pictures and advice!  I followed their thorough directions for the Double Fold Bow Tie to make these bow ties. 

{Trendy Tuesday} & {Recipes} - Grown Up Desserts: Cocktail Cupcakes

Cupcakes aren't only for kids, anymore!  With all of the fabulous cocktail infused cupcake recipes, cupcakes are no longer just a birthday party treat.  Today, I'll share some cupcakes that are for the over 21 crowd, only. 

I made these Lemon Drop Martini Cupcakes for our Rat Pack / Mad Men themed table, this weekend.  They were delicious and super easy.

Lemon Drop Martini Cupcakes:

To make the cupcakes, just start with your favorite lemon cake recipe.  My favorite way to make lemon cupcakes is start with either a vanilla cake mix or this fantastic Vanilla Cupcakes recipe.  Then, I add the zest of one lemon and 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the recipe.  I also add a small amount of yellow food coloring. 

After baking the cupcakes, let them cool completely before adding icing.  The icing is where you get to add in the martini part!

Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon good quality vodka (I used Grey Goose)
4 cups of powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons of milk

Cream together butter, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, and vodka. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar alternately with 1 tablespoon milk, beating on low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.  If you would like more of a vodka taste, add another half tablespoon of vodka.  Add a small amount of yellow food coloring, if desired.


Here are some other fun cocktail inspired cupcakes recipes:

Lime Margarita Cupcakes
Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes
White Russian Cupcakes
Kahlua Chocolate Cupcakes
Pina Colada Cupcakes

Have you tested any cocktail infused cupcake recipes?  If so, please post a link at the bottom of this post to share it with us all!! 

{Tablescapes} -- Rat Pack / Mad Men themed table

This weekend we attended Picnic with the Pops, an annual event that we always enjoy.  This year's theme was Live from Las Vegas, featuring Matt Dusk, a crooner who covered some of the most well-known Rat Pack era songs.  With the theme being Las Vegas, there were several possible decoration ideas I threw out to the other guests.  In the end, we decided to go with a "Rat Pack in Las Vegas" theme, with a mod, Mad Men feel.  For all the details, please read below. 

The starting point for the tables was the graphic, mod fabric I found at my local Hancock Fabrics.  I loved the yellow and grey combination, especially because it was so different than a red and black color scheme, that is typically associated with Las Vegas.  We have 16 people in our group, so I was in charge of decorating two tables.  I purchased two yards of the fabric, which I cut into four equal pieces, for two horizontal table runners for both tables.

The paper printables goods I designed included a "Live from Las Vegas" sign, favor tags, and cupcake toppers.  I used the Mad Men logo, which captures the coolness of the era, refashioned in grey and yellow.  Four different black and white pictures of the original Rat Pack were framed for the table (I printed out pictures I found on the Internet).  Another nod to the Rat Pack was the bow ties that topped the napkins.   These little bow ties were simple to make and would also be perfect for a Little Man themed baby shower or birthday party. 

I also purchased Martini glasses for each place setting.  The glasses looked a little plain, so I wrapped yellow yarn around the stems to add a pop of color.  For the centerpieces, assorted yellow flowers were placed in Martini shakers.  Small glass cubes with yellow flower also flanked the shakers.  One of my big pet peeves is sitting at a table where I can't see the other guests across the table from me because of tall centerpieces.  So as usual, I kept the centerpieces low to encourage great conversation! 

The favors were simply small treat bags filled with Tootsie Rolls, Frank Sinatra's favorite candy.  The favor tag said, "Please enjoy some of Old Blue Eye's favorite candy!"  It was an inexpensive favor that incorporated the Rat Pack theme. 

I made Lemon Drop Martini Cupcakes and another guest brought delicious Red Velvet Roulette Truffles, which were both fun, themed desserts.  It was a great evening -- the food was delicious, the weather was beautiful, the music was relaxing, and the company was fantastic! 

Back to School Week & Rat Pack / Mad Men Inspired Table Sneak Peek

How many of you started back to school this week?  Our first day was Wednesday and it's gone fairly smoothly, so far.  While attempting to wake up my son this morning, I heard the first "I don't want to school today" from my son.  It won't the last time I hear him utter that phrase at 7:00am.  How has the adjustment gone at your house? 

With the kids back to school, I've had much more time for work.  Which is good because I  have several fun projects coming up!  This week, I've been planning a Rat Pack/Mad Men inspired tablesetting for our local Picnic with the Pops.  I have a special guest who's going to help me give you a sneak peek into the table.  Meet Ollie . . .

With my favorite little models off to school, I had a find a new muse.  Ollie was the perfect model because he is such a dapper gentlemen, even without the bow tie.  Add the bow tie and he instantly has Rat Pack swagger!  Check back next week for all of the pictures of the mod tables. 

Happy Friday!  Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

{Back to School} -- Edible "Glue" Stick Teacher's Gifts.

Yesterday was our first day back to school.  It's always such a bittersweet time for me because I love having the kids home during the summer!  However, it's nice to actually have some free time to get to work on all the projects that take the back seat to swimming, tennis, cookouts, beach trips, and all the other fun summer activities. 

Earlier this summer, I was thrilled when the fabulous Kim at The Celebration Shoppe asked me to write a guest post about back to school.  But, I didn't actually have a back to school craft planned.    Luckily, when I took the kids shopping for school supplies, I remembered that I had some push up pops containers left over from our Christmas party.  The shape of the containers reminded me of the glue sticks we were buying for their classrooms.   So, I set out to recreate the look of a glue stick, using push up pops and an edible treat. 

These Edible School "Glue" Sticks were so simple to make!  For all the details, please visit The Celebration Shopppe.  And, you can download the FREE labels for the the Glue Sticks, HERE. 

Here is a close -up of the little tag, that can be downloaded HERE.  I had both of my children sign the back of their tags. 

These yummy little treats were filled with York Peppermint Pieces.  One bag of the Pieces was more than enough to fill two containers.  However, they were so yummy that your little helpers might want to eat as many as they put in the containers, like mine did!

Here is my First Grader and Fifth Grader, off to school with their teacher's treats!  Hope you all have a wonderful start to the school year! 

{Trendy Tuesday} -- Candy Making for Kids by Courtney Whitmore Dial

First, I know it's Wednesday, not Tuesday.  So, don't worry, I haven't completely lost it, yet!  Yesterday was the kids' last day of summer, so I tried to unplug as much as possible.  Since I spent yesterday at the pool, playing tennis, and just hanging out, this week's Trendy Tuesday post is a day late.  But, it's worth waiting for because I have a great book to discuss. 

This fun book, Candy Making for Kids, was written by author, blogger, and entertaining expert Courtney Whitmore Dial.  Creative little treats like the ones in this book are a huge party trend.  The preview pictures from the book that Courtney has shared are crazy cute!  I have two little aspiring bakers in my house that would go gaga over these treats.   It is going to make a great holiday gift for all of the little ones in my life. 

Here are a few gorgeous images, photographed by Zac Williams, of some of the sweet goodies included in the book.  Those little pearl candies would be perfect for a Mermaid Themed Party.  And, what little girl wouldn't love making those candy necklaces?

What a fun idea to host a party to make the treats from Candy Making for Kids.  Instead of the typical cookie decorating party at the holidays, kids would love making Courtney's little candies and treats!  Courtney has even dedicated an entire chapter to holiday treats. 

You can purchase your copy of Candy Making for Kids from both Amazon or Barnes & Noble.   I had the opportunity to meet Courtney earlier this year at an AH Inspired event.  Yes, we even matched the day of the event!  She was sweet, down to earth, and so very encouraging to all the ladies at the event.   And, the amount of entertaining and social media knowledge she has is unreal.   She is fantastic and I know that anything she touches will be great! 

If you'd like to know more about Courtney or Candy Making for Kids, hop on over to her website or to her blog, Pizzazzerie.

{Sponsored Post} Back to School Fashion Trends -- Old Navy Style

Are your kids getting ready to go back to school?   Have you started to hear the familiar phrase, "What do I wear?" My daughter is going into 5th grade this year and back to school fashion is very important in our house.  When she was little, I would lay out her clothes.  Then, in the morning, she would get up and just put them on.  No complaining, no arguing.  Oh how I miss those days!

Like most tweens, she now has definite opinions about what she likes to wear and the stores where she likes to shop.  Thankfully, there are stores, like Old Navy, that carry age appropriate stylish clothes that fit within our back to school budget!  Shopping at Old Navy makes my life easier because I can purchase the trendy items of the season, without worrying about investing much money into the pieces.  Some of the trendy items for girls this year include brightly colored jeans, graphic t-shirts, and preppy looks.

Of course, while I am shopping for kids clothes, my mind is also thinking about party ideas.  So, I've put together a couple of tween-approved outfits that would work for back to school, but would also be party appropriate!   The first look would be great for a Parisian-inspired, glamour girl party, a popular party theme for tweens.  I love the big gorgeous tulle flower headband.  And, the black polka dot skirt would be versatile enough to wear with many other looks, too. 

Parisian Glamour Girl look

One of my favorite parties I've planned is my daughter's last birthday party.  For her 9th birthday, we held a fun Disco Dance Party.  The girls had a fantastic time dancing their hearts out! This next outfit would be great for a disco or any groovy 70s party.  The tiered skirt would have lots of movement, making it a perfect dance skirt!  And, the sweet striped t-shirt gives a nod to the 70s without being completely retro.  

Disco Dance Queen look

For even more great back to school and party outfits, check out Old Navy!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

{Recipes} -- White Chocolate Cherry and Orange Peel Bark

I'm sharing one more easy recipe from my Modern Going Away Party.  Like the Spicy Cashew Brittle, the best part of this delicious dessert is that you can make it days before your party.  The tartness of the cherries and orange peel contrasted with the sweet white chocolate make this a nicely balanced dish.

White Chocolate Cherry and Orange Peel Bark (adapted from Martha Stewart)

• 1 pound of white chocolate
• 1/2 cup of dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
• Cooking spray

Line a 9x12 baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the ends.  Spray with cooking spray.  Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.  Pour melted chocolate onto baking sheet, spreading in an even layer.  Sprinkle cherries and orange peel over chocolate.  Refrigerate until firm.  After chocolate is firm, break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container. 

 

{Trendy Tuesday} -- Paper Fan Medallions

Paper Fan Medallions have crept into party design in many ways.  They are easy to make and can be made out of inexpensive paper, making them an ideal party decoration.  There are also so many ways to use these little fans, as you can see below.  If you'd like to know all the secrets for making paper medallion fans, check out this great post by A Blissful Nest. 

I recently used paper fan medallions as a backdrop for a drink table for the Modern Going Away Party.  They added a little pop of color to a plain white wall! 

Drink table background, HERE

The best part about the fans used for the drink table backdrop is that they are recyled.  I used these same fans for my son's Retro, Rustic Bowling Party.  Reusing party supplies is great for both the environment and your bottom line! 

Bowling party background, HERE

Check out all these other great uses for paper medallion fans. To find out more about each design, just follow the link below the picture.  And, if you used paper fans in your party design, I'd love to see pictures!

 


 Paper Fan Halloween party background, via Amy Atlas

Hanging wedding decorations, via Rebekah Westover Photography

Napkin ring, via Positively Splendid

Dessert table background, via The Proper Pinwheel

Party centerpiece, via Carla Schauer

 Newspaper medallion drink decoration, HERE