DIY Recipe Box for the Bride~to~Be

Last week was the Despedida de Soltera for our soon to be daughter~in~law. While I was making the invitations I thought it would be fun to ask guests to bring a recipe to share with the bride.

So I slipped a small recipe request tag in a pocket on the back of each invitation. 

Then I made a framed sign that coordinated with the invitations to let the guests know where to put the recipe they brought or to take a recipe card and write down a favorite recipe.

A recipe box was also needed to collect all the recipes that the guests had brought with them and also the recipes that were written at the shower. So, I searched for a recipe box. I could not find one online that fit the theme or their kitchen decor so I decided to paint one myself. It was harder to find an unfinished wood recipe box, or any recipe box for that matter, than I had expected but I did manage to find one. Then I needed to come up with an idea for a design to paint.

While I thought about the design I sanded and painted the box and lid with a base coat of paint. While gathering my supplies I and came across the cute leftover brackets I used for the Library Tea Party so I set one aside as a possibility for the front. Once the recipe box was painted and drying I sketched a few flowers and then added a little paint. When they were dry I cut them out and positioned and repositioned them to get an idea how they would look. Then drew some similar flowers with chalk on the box as a guide for painting. 

At this point I still was not certain about the flowers so I painted a few more samples and then started on the box.

At this point though I was not sure about the flowers and changed the plan. I thought it would coordinate better with the theme if it was just blue and white with the label holder on the front. So, I sanded the flowers off and painted the lid white. 

It was not at all what I had intended however I liked it much better. 

The great part is that the recipe box can be repainted later with something the bride chooses unless she likes it just the way it is. So stay tuned, it may change again.

These are the cute recipe cards and dividers that were purchased separately.

The recipe box is beginning to fill up with recipes so it is off to a good start. Also, the DIY table runner under the recipe box was not only a decoration for the gift table but was given away as a prize to the person who chose the Piñata Cupcake. We also played some fun games so I will be back soon to share the DIY prizes we gave to the winners. 

Happy Saturday!

More Bridal Shower Cupcakes :: ORANGE FIESTA {and…a Piñata Cupcake for 1 lucky winner}

We recently had a Backyard Despedida de Soltera , also known as a Bridal Shower, for our soon to be Daughter~in~Law.

It was a wonderful day for a bridal shower and the backyard was perfect. 

An amazing homemade Mexican lunch was served, games were played and then it was cupcakes for dessert. The bride~to~be requested two flavors, Blueberry and Orange, so after a thorough search through my recipes and cookbooks I came up with a few ideas. 

A trial batch of cupcakes was made a few weeks ahead to determine what worked and what did not, what looked and tasted the best and so on. 

 The Orange test cupcakes started out with white and orange swirl frosting and many different toppers were tried. And, after a little trial and error along with some taste testing, which is the best part, these were the Orange Cupcakes that made the final cut. 

These are orange cupcakes with orange buttercream frosting made with fresh orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice. The toppers are made with an orange candy slice cut in half and then stuck back together to form an orange heart. And then, just for fun, I made just one Piñata Cupcake which had a surprise in the middle! I cut out a small hole in the center of the cupcake and filled it with assorted sprinkles which fall out like a Piñata once you bite into it. 

The person who got the Piñata cupcake was then given a prize. It was lots of fun. 

Our dessert table was a charming old desk which Miss E and I draped with a dark blue tablecloth. Terra cotta flower pots and saucers were used to make tiered cake stands, an old crate turned upside down elevated the High Heel Cupcakes for the Bride~to~Be and we even put some cupcakes in one of the drawers. 

The space was just right and the display turned out so cute. After a lot of fun pictures, especially of the BRIDE with her white HIGH HEEL Cupcakes, it was time to have a cupcake. And one of each if you so desired. It was a fun and special afternoon. 

Coming up next:  a DIY painted recipe box for the Bride to Be and DIY game prizes including a prize for the Piñata Cupcake. 

Happy Friday!

Check out the Bridal Shower Blueberry Cupcakes here and here

Bridal Shower Cupcakes :: BLUEBERRY LEMON

These Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes were one of two flavors chosen by our soon to be daughter~in~law for her Backyard Bridal Shower. 

A couple weeks before the shower I made a test batch for practice and to determine if any recipe and/or decorating adjustments were needed. They turned out great however I did decide to kick them up a notch by adding a homemade Lemon Curd filling. 

It was hard to decide between Lemon Curd or Lemon Curd Mousse however I went with Lemon Curd after consulting with my bakery sous chef Miss E. Lemon Zest and some Lemon Juice gave the cupcakes a nice lemon flavor and the added lemon curd gave them a little extra pop but was not over powering. We agreed, they were just right. 

Before making the frosting I made a small batch of blueberry syrup using fresh picked blueberries from our garden. Once it was strained and cooled a small portion was set aside. The remaining syrup was added to the frosting which gave it the pretty color as well as a subtle blueberry flavor. After the cupcakes were frosted the saved blueberry syrup was drizzled over the tops of most, but not all, of the frosted cupcakes.

A few cupcakes were left unfilled just in case anyone preferred a more simple version. To differentiate between the filled and unfilled I simply did not drizzle blue syrup over the top. 

The tops were decorated with a few fresh blueberries and then these Blueberry Lemon Bridal Shower Cupcakes were ready to go however there was another batch of cupcakes still to be made. I will be back soon to share the Orange Fiesta Cupcakes and the fun little surprise I had in store for the guests. 

Have a Great Thursday!

Bridal Shower :: HIGH HEEL CUPCAKES

Aren’t these fun? High Heel Cupcakes for the Bride~to~Be!

❤

These cute high heel cupcakes were the focal point of the dessert table at our soon to be daughter~in~law’s bridal shower. 

The Bride had asked me if I would make cupcakes for her bridal shower and of course I said YES. She requested two flavors, Orange and Blueberry Lemon, and left the rest of the details up to me.

A few weeks ahead of the shower I made trial batches of both to be sure the flavors were just right and to figure out just how I wanted to decorate them. Since I only had three taste testers { me, myself and I...haha } there were at least a couple of leftover test cupcakes which I kept eyeing because something, possibly an idea, continued nagging at me. At the same time I was thinking about how to display the cupcakes on the dessert table, which I knew would be a desk, although I did not see it until the day of the shower. Then it finally came to me. I would save one cupcake of each flavor and make them into High Heels and display them on a separate plate. So, just to be sure the idea would work, I gave it a quick try. I took a leftover cupcake and some leftover frosting from the practice batch and turned it into a pretty High Heel shoe and was sold on the idea instantly. 

The day before the shower I made all the cupcakes and, as planned, set aside one cupcake in each flavor for the High Heels. Once they were frosted I assembled them on a clear glass plate. 

The High Heels were treated as if they were the top of a wedding cake and placed at the highest point on the dessert table. They even had their own DIY terra cotta pedestal cake stand. Then to elevate the cupcakes a little more I used an old crate which was flipped upside down and then covered with Something Old which was a special embroidered family heirloom hankie that happened to match the wedding colors. 

The desk was a perfect place to serve the cupcakes and was just the right size. 

The fancy cupcakes for the Bride were a fun surprise and made a great centerpiece. It was a wonderful afternoon and, as you might have guessed, there is more to share. So, I will be back soon with a little more about the rest of the cupcakes and some other DIY bridal shower projects. 

Happy Tuesday!

Despedida de Soltera :: bridal shower invitations

Last weekend was our Despedida de Soltera

{farewell to the single woman}

for our soon to be Daughter~in~Law. 

The wedding colors are blue and burnt orange and the theme is Talavera, which is a beautiful Mexican pottery/eathenware covered in colorful designs, so with that in mind I designed the invitations. 

The invite consisted of the invitation and 3 layers of alternating colors of card stock glued together and tied with a piece of ribbon. However, before the back was glued down, I cut a small slit for a matching "recipe request" tag which I slipped in the little pocket.

These invitations were so much fun to make and have inspired lots of ideas for the Bridal Shower which I will be sharing soon. 

Happy Monday!

Dessert Galore!

It has been a “sweet” week of baking. 

This is the first time I have made Orange cupcakes and I must say they were winners in my book. The fresh zest and juice gave them an extra burst of flavor which I liked. 

Then it was on to chocolate cake. This was actually the second chocolate cake I made in a week although this one I made to give away. The other one was for Sunday Supper. 

Our blueberries are in season now and there are plenty to pick each day. We always eat some, freeze some and also keep some out for baking. 

This dessert I also gave away so will have to make another one while the blueberries are still on however a handful of fresh picked blueberries are a tasty treat too.

Have a Sweet Day!

Lavender, Blueberries & Busy Bees

The Blueberries have really ripened up over the last few days. 

In fact, enough for a big bowl full.

Some of those will go in the freezer and the rest will be for more cupcakes and cobblers. 

We also have busy bees in the lavender.

Simple summer pleasures.

Happy Friday!

Something Blue

As in Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes! 

The blueberries in our garden are beginning to ripen so could hardly wait to pick some and make a small batch of cupcakes. 

Leftover lemons from the Lemons to Lemonade cupcakes worked great for these cupcakes too. 

This time the butter cream frosting is blueberry though, and so is the drizzle. YUM! 

Great cupcakes for Summer.

Happy Tuesday!