wantist...

I am wondering around the web late tonight and found WANTIST.  This site is so fun to browse...it spotlights super cool places, products, food, games, household things: basically - lots of things that could be gifted to well-deserving people in your life.  Very hip, unique gift ideas for all.  I love stumbling upon sites such as this.  It makes the lost hours of sleep so worth it.

the flavor's in the beans

I love coffee flavor!  Ice cream, gelato, chocolate sauce, chocolate cake, tiramisu, chocolate pudding, hot chocolate... whatever!  And I love chocolate! It is a necessary staple in my kitchen.  Ina Garten, one of my favorite chefs, says that coffee flavor enhances chocolate and gives it depth.  I totally agree!  And it doesn't get much better or more decadant than a good dark chocolate with a hint of coffee flavor.

coffee flavor

I found this really cute site called the Cupcake Project that has a plethora of yummy sounding cupcake recipes, great photos, and some funny dialog.  Steph shares a genius way to get coffee flavor into your baked goods without having to use instant powder (which is usually nasty tasting) or brewed coffee (I don't own a coffee maker) which can sometimes water down the recipe.  In short, you steep whole coffee beans (mmmmm...I can almost smell them) in super hot whole milk (or 2% or half & half), strain off the beans and use the creamy, coffee-y, yummy goodness that results. G-e-n-i-u-s!  I will be trying this method for my next 'must have chocolate' creation.

Pom Balls

So ~ I occasionally dabble in event planning.  Parties, weddings, dinners, etc.  I have often been heard telling someone that "when I grow up, I want to be a wedding planner".  I'm 46.
The other day, my daughter from another mother, Carly asked me if I would show her how to make pom balls.  For as long as I live I will associate pom balls with the Burkholz/Stringham wedding.  I was lucky enough to plan the celebration for my dear friend Katie Burkholz with the help of her sweet mom, Lizzy, last summer.  Katie married the wonderful (and lucky) Jeremy Stringham.  It was one of the most magical nights of the year!   To a large degree the magic came in a van from Culinary Crafts.  They were amazing and fabulous, as usual.  But I would like to take a little credit for part of it.  Enjoy the photos.  Please link to the vendors sites if any of you are in the wedding planning stages.  You will not be disappointed.  And yes - we did MAKE all the pom balls ourselves.  I know.

The weather was PERFECT!  The setting was SPECTACULAR!  The occasion was JOYFUL!  The night was MAGICAL!

This cake was pictured in "The Knot" last spring.  We took it to Granite Bakery in Salt Lake and they customized it just for Katie.  I can't believe how many compliments it got!  The bakery said it was one of the most beautiful they had ever done!

Gorgeous copper roses and ivory hydrangea. Jen Bennett, floral designer, is an artist!  ...and here are the poms - awesome, right?

Copper and Ivory Linens...Tents with lights and chandeliers...twinkle lights and pom balls...sunshine and summertime!

I'm so glad that Jeremy and Katie got a moment to walk around and look at all the beautiful details before the guests arrived.  I try to suggest that to couples so that they actually have some memory of what their wedding looked like.  Once the night gets going - they will not have a second to themselves!

My sister's gorgeous backyard in Farmington, Utah was transformed into a fairy tale setting by Culinary Crafts.  Pure MAGIC.

We hired a huge 15-person photo booth - stocked with props!!  It was hiiii-larious!  The take home favors were these hand-stamped library pockets made to fit a copy of the photos taken in the booth.  A duplicate copy was signed and hung on a clothesline fashioned from copper wire and painted wooden stakes for the couple to keep as the 'sign in book'.  These were my original idea and I had my cute daughters help me stamp them - I thought they turned out super cute! ;)  Utah Jive arrived an hour before the event and set up the booth.  They were fantastic people-people - helping the guests sign their photos for Katie and Jeremy and making sure they took a copy for themselves.  It was extra super fun!

Katie and Jeremy spray painted these frames for the tables.  Together with the ivory vases, the votives and the beautiful flowers they looked perfect on the copper linens!

Crepe Station...complete with creme' fraiche and a 'to-die-for' orange rum butter sauce...mmmmmm!

Again - gorgeous set up from the Culinary Crafts crew.  I have hired them many times and they have never failed to WOW me!
Just in case you're wondering how I had time to take all these fabulous photos...well, I didn't!!  CC hired out knowing that they'd want to feature the event.  All of these pro photos were taken by Zuma Photo.

How great is this mosaic??  We had it blown up and then placed it on an easel along with a couple of magnifying glasses.  It was set up in between the entrance and the bride and groom - so people could have something to look at while they were waiting to congratulate the couple.

Here are a few images of the stationery that I designed for the wedding...invites, program, guest book, etc.  

 

Update:  Check out Pom Love for some ready made pom balls.  Really cool stuff!