Creative Christmas Wreaths

I have always loved Martha Stewart's cranberry wreath but this year I was looking for something to put behind a dessert table I am styling. I really wanted an all white wreath! Just look at this marshmallow wreath! I LOVE IT!!! Absolutely perfect for a dessert buffet backdrop!

I love these wreaths from Food Network.

This rock candy wreath is genius!

Also, love the rustic nature of this cinnamon wreath. Well, I need to rethink the whole wreath thing and see what foods/stuff I can use that I already have.

I am going on Sonoran Living tomorrow (Wednesday) so if you live in Phoenix please check it out. Maddycakes is also having a Gingerbread party this Saturday at the store location so go to the website for details and to make reservations.

Inexpensive Christmas Village

I put up Maddy's pink Christmas tree last night. I love this time of year so much! I love looking at her little collection of Hallmark Christmas ornaments that we have collected so far! I want to start a collection of Christmas villages also but with each one being around $20; I would be scared for her to touch them plus it would take years before she even had a street let alone village! I found a whole 61 piece village from Dollar Tree online. (you can't get the whole collection in the stores)

The $36 collection consists of~

12 Porcelain Village Buildings:

School, Post Office, Fire Station, 3 Houses, 2 Churches, Toy Shop, Country Hotel, Chapel, and Restaurant

4 Resin Decorated Structures:

"Merry Christmas" Arch, Fence, Crossing Bridge, Gazebo

6 Resin Scenic Bases with People:Ice Skaters, Family Decorating Christmas Tree, Choir, Horse-Drawn Carriage, Kids with Snowpeople, Children Building Snowman

4 Packs of Trees:·

2 Snow-Capped Full Pines· 2 Green Full Pines· 2 Snow-White Full Pines· 2 Green Cone-Shaped Pines

10 Packs of Resin People and Accessories (1¼ - 2¾" tall):·

7 Packs of Various People, 3 people per pack·

4 Lamp Posts· 2 Street Lights, 1 Fire Hydrant· 2 Decorated Gates, 1 Christmas Tree

Of course it doesn't have the detailed craftmanship of the more expensive ones however, Madison can actually have the whole village displayed in her room and she can actually touch it and if something happens to one....no big deal.

White Christmas

Have you missed me?? Well, I certainly missed you! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My server has been down for days....how can your server go down? I wasn't able to access Internet so on Black Friday had it looked at and was told there was nothing that could be done because it was my Internet provider. So sorry for the lack of posts. Wanted to go to wireless locations but due to family being in didn't find the time. SO on to Christmas. I feel like I missed so much not being on the Internet for 4 days!!! Here is a creative all white Christmas dessert table found on David Monn. I am doing an all white dessert table for an event and came across this really nice one!

It's an easy table to create especially if you are short on time!
It's very simple; using the power of one main color-white- create a winter wonderland. The table cloth is quilt batting with two white strand of Christmas lights under it. This is an old cut up birch log used as the food levels. If you don't have a log you can also cover cardboard boxes. White boas from the dollar store and fake snow complete the look.

Send guests home with leftovers in over-sized mason jars tied with ribbon.

On another note, I was up all night on Black Friday. We left for Walmart at 11:30 pm then went to Old Navy at 2am ~then Target when it opened at 4 am! Would have went to more stores but had to get home in time for when Maddy woke up. We had so much fun and I'm done with all of Maddy's Christmas gifts....except for new bike. Did any of you score on Black Friday?? Haven't put up any Christmas decor yet due to family being in town. They leave in a few hours so will spend all Sunday decking the halls!! Tis the Season!!

Pumpkin Pie Stuffed French Toast

I am so making this and eating it after my Black Friday Extravaganza Shopping! Get the 411 here!

Super Mario Party

Weekend parties over....on to Thanksgiving! Here is a pic from the Super Mario sweets table. Mustaches are so prominent on Mario and Luigi's faces so incorporated it into decor. Of course had to make the ever so popular mustache on a stick. There were also edible wax mustaches. The birthday boy totally loved his cake....me too!Used mustaches for food labels.I know you have seen lollipop trees using ribbon~well here is my easier version using crepe paper. You simply wrap the crepe paper from top to bottom of styrofoam cone using hot glue on both ends. Make sure to weigh it down but glueing washers on bottom. I found the Mario and Luigi hats in Vegas while looking for a gift to take home for Maddy. I'm such the lucky girl.The marshmallow pop Luigi tree.Favors~gumball machines with tag saying Wii hope you had a ball....get it Wii...ball??? I think I'm so clever sometimes! :)

The mushroom cake pop close up...to0 cute! Mario themed cookies on a stick.We had a Super Mario olympics with classic games such as potato sack races. Then the kids went inside to create their own pizzas (Mario and Luigi are Italian) :) After eating and cake cutting came the highlight for the birthday boy.... the game truck!

These trucks are massive and way cool!

I have his sister's birthday party in a few weeks...what activity can be as cool as all the kids playing a choice of 160 video games all at once???

Macaroon Love

I love macaroons and I love this beautiful display of the hanging and macaroon trees. Macaroons come in so many beautiful colors and flavors. This would be awesome in a dessert display...however macaroons cost so much! I need to learn how to bake these!

FREE Thanksgiving Printables

The bug has bitten....yes, I have been flat on my back sick for a day in a half!! Maybe it's the flu or maybe too much fun in Vegas! :) I don't want to miss telling you though about this AWESOME FREE printable package from my friend Carli of Dimpleprints. She emailed me last week letting me know that she had a free printable on her blog...I checked it out tonight and it's AMAZING!! There is so much in this package and it's FREE!! Thanks so much Carli...I will be using this next week for sure to make my Thanksgiving extra special! Download your free copy here and check out Carli's other great products. Her Christmas cards are so unique and beautiful. I got mine from her last year and will get another one from her again this year!

DIY Kids Thanksgiving

I LOVE this Kids Thanksgiving tablescape from Fiskars. I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week and I'm going to have a house full! I am so excited! I love having a big Thanksgiving, it reminds me of how it used to be when my mom was alive and everyone would go home for Thanksgiving.

Aren't these mini pumpkin pies cute...of course from the ever so talented Bakerella!

I am going to go with the whole Mayflower/pilgram theme for the kid's table so these pilgram hat namecards are perfect!

Mayflower cupcakes from Reader's Digest. I have the Super Mario party this weekend so I will be working on projects for that and Thanksgiving all week. I have so much to post yet from my Vegas weekend...I will do my best to get it all in this week!

My new BFFs!

I was in Vegas for my sister's VIP Vegas weekend and I had every intention on blogging about the whole experience. However, needless to say I'm back in Phoenix and didn't blog a thing all weekend...so sorry my peeps! These beautiful and talented ladies are Heather and Emily from Whipperberry! I LOVE them so much!!(I love how we are all color coordinated to the dessert table) I contacted Heather a few weeks ago to help me with my sister's birthday dinner in Vegas. Don't you just love the contacts you find through the blog world!??? I cannot say enough about how wonderful these ladies are!! Everything was exceptional! They found and made reservations at the restaurant, designed a gorgeous dessert table, took photographs and made a beautiful custom favor. Don't you just love these pinwheels that Heather made?? I sent Heather our weekend logo...more on that this week... and Emily made it black and white then blinged it up with glitter. LOVE!!

Here is one of my pics of the stunning cake. I was getting ready to post many of my pics of dessert table but was checking out my blog list and saw that Heather from Whipperberry posted some of her pics. She will be mailing my pictures she took of the event so until then you can enjoy her pictures of my sister's dessert table HERE! You know photography is not one of my better skills. I try! I will check out your comments over at their blog!!

If you are going to Vegas for a girlfriends weekend, bachelorette weekend...or just for any reason...I highly encourage you to contact them. They completely made the weekend over the top fabulous!

If you live in Vegas and haven't hired these girls yet for an event....why not?????!!!!

Thanks so much ladies!! I pray for your continued success with your business. You are super talented and just plain wonderful. I felt like I knew you for years! When you become super famous please don't forget me! :)

Where is Waldo....I mean Michelle?

I will be here all weekend so can't wait to share photos...well not all the photos! Some things must stay here!

Repurpose Christmas Card Holder

My printer was totally not cooperating today so I wasn't able to finish the Vegas bags. So you have to wait until tomorrow...I know you won't be able to sleep tonight in anticipation. Well, here is a super duper easy project I did using what I have. I am a HUGE believer on repurposing items. At the store, I had this empty space on the wall and it needed something Christmassy...like my word?? Then I remembered I had those old lights that I took down, remember these?? I spray painted the frame part red and viola Christmas card holder. The wood frame is thin enough the cards can be slipped through ~ a few I used double sided tape.

Look around at what you own and try to see it for what it can be!

Turkey Caddy

I'm on the hunt for ideas for Thanksgiving and the kid's table. I think this turkey caddy is perfect for the kiddos. However, I would use crayons instead of markers. Here is the 411 on how to make!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES!! This is the first year in 22 years that I have not gone to a Marine Corps Ball. I truly miss my fellow comrades and continue to pray for their safety. Semper Fi!

Did I tell you that I'm leaving for Vegas Friday morning for a VIP event weekend?? Well, I will share more tomorrow.....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

UPDATE: Here is the link to Maddycakes on Fox Channel 10 this morning. I love my Maddy's reaction when the reporter takes her M&Ms! She did really great especially considering she got up at 5:30 am. Her behavior now is another story....we are off to take a nap!!

Maddycakes will be on Fox Channel 10 Live tomorrow (Monday). I am very excited and nervous. They are filming in my party location so I'm very excited about that. I was asked to have the place decorated for Christmas with children working on a holiday craft. They will be at my location at 7:30 in the morning...I pray that Maddy is cooperative tomorrow morning! I will share a few pics of the Christmas decor in the store. I will share more tomorrow. This is really why I wanted a fireplace in my store...for Christmas.

Once again to show that there is no need to break the bank for decor or party items~ the red wreaths, stars, stocking hangers, and Noel sign~ I got from Dollar Tree. I got the sleigh from Goodwill sometime in July for 50 cents. The rest I owned. I got the red and gold trees from Dollar Tree. Yes, they looked kind of cheesy all alone but when I put them all in a row~ I think they turn out nice. I didn't have much space between the chargers for centerpieces and these worked out perfectly! Plus they were only $1 each! I also got the ornaments that I used as napkin rings from $ Tree. They were 3/$1. I just alternated the gold and red. If you have a Big Lots were you live, you can get 4 chargers for $5. They come in silver, gold and red.

I really love my Craigslist hutch...here it is all decked out for the Holidays!

I already owned everything on the hutch. I'm a big shopper during after Christmas sales for additional decor. I have no problem packing it up once I buy it for the following Christmas season. Then when I open up my boxes, I feel like it's my Christmas and I'm opening up presents because I forget what all I bought during the clearance sales!

DIY Thanksgiving display

I just love this DIY idea from Choose to Thrive. I think wheat is just beautiful!!

Did you know the containers were from drinks??

Oh...I am SO doing this project!!!

For the full tutorial check out here.

Travel Inspired Sweets Table

I was honored to do a sweet station for the Glendale Visitor Center's 10th Anniversary. My new party pad is right around the corner. I took these photos in the last couple of minutes before the Glendale Visitor Center opened it's doors to a line standing outside. It felt like Black Friday!! They gave out gift bags and prizes all day long. Since this busy center has been visited by thousands from all over the globe, we went with an International travel theme using stamps and passport stamps throughout. Hopefully I can procure some better photos from the many photographers who attended the event.Here is an aerial shot from me standing on a ladder ~with heels no doubt! Who put those 2 stray cupcakes on my table! LOL Oh...I think I did so I could perform quality control on the food!Keeping with the travel theme~the gift bags in a suitcase. Notice the labels on gift bags which simulate luggage tags?

I love these stamped boxes I found at HomeGoods! I just love that place! I never leave out empty handed so that is why I can't go as often as I would like!Don't you just love these travel passport stamped labels. I sent the wonderful Kori from Paper and Pigtails the tag that Jayne (the dynamic creative guru from the city of Glendale) created for the event and she matched them perfectly. Used an old typewriter case as a cupcake stand.

Turned a vase upside down then stuffed it with mesh and International postcards. The mesh kept the postcards in place. Put a white plate on top..instant stand! Placed mini pecan pies on stands and used luggage tags as food labels.

Used a random pattern of ribbon as the table skirt~good old duct tape held it on the table. It's hard to see in the photo but used International postcards and spelled out Glendale on them.

I know that professional photographer pics would be way better than mine but in my real world~ I don't have one following me around. Sorry that you must endure my amateur pics so often! Hopefully you can still get "muses" from them.