Ultra-glam Dessert Table

Here are some shots of a girls-night dessert and candy table I styled. I used lots of pink, silver and black to achieve a glitz and glam feeling, while juxtaposing that with sweet flowers to keep it from being too haute to touch.

I took the outer wrapper off of some Mentos and piled them loosely on the table. They sort of look like glamorous pink cigars!

Pretty mineral water bottles.

Giant martini glasses held different types of candy.

I  draped and weaved long ribbons into the chandelier and let them trail down at differing heights.

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finding inspiration: Cake Stands

I am obsessed with finding perfectly adorable vessels and props for my dessert tables, especially cake stands. They have to be the cutest and easiest way to pretty up a simple cake display and they are extremely versatile. Don't agree with me that they are the best thing to happen to cakes since... well, cakes? Try typing in 'cake stands' into Google Images and see if you don't change your mind. Better yet, type in any colour before 'cake stands' [eg. green cake stands] and you will see that the possibilities are endless.

Today I bought this beauty from Write Impressions in Waterloo [my old stomping grounds in my Uni days] after a wedding consultation. I am such a sucker for this store, they stock the most beautiful things, and their set-ups are just as beautiful as the products themselves. I can't wait to use this in my dessert tables! It will go perfectly with the Sugar and Spice table I have coming up, and I may even try to make it work for my ultra-glam totally girly table as well.

Do you use cake stands to display your wares? What other props or vessels do you use?

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Veggie Buffet Table

This Christmas my sister had a pot-luck with a bunch of her girlfriends and she decided that her offering was going to be fresh raw veggies. She wanted to put a funky spin on the concept, since veggies are pretty boring, and she asked me for ideas. I thought it might be cool to try a veggie buffet table and set it up like a candy display like those I create for other events. The result was pretty cool!

The girls demolished the table in no time, partly due to the fact that the veggies were presented like treats! Might be a good trick for a children's party!
Have you ever tried to put a new spin on a candy table?

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Thirsty Thursday: Raspberry Truffle Martini

Here is a perfect drink for the Valentine's Day ladies' night party I will be writing about tomorrow. Food and Drink magazine featured this luxurious silky drink in their Holiday 2008 issue. It's easy to make, very sippable and of course beautiful looking!

Photo Credit:LCBO.com

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 oz Chambord, ½ oz white crème de cacao and 1 oz cream. Shake and strain into a Martini glass and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

Or, to make a batch for your party [makes 8 servings]:

1 cup Chambord
½ cup white crème de cacao
1 cup cream
Shaved chocolate, for topping

Add all ingredients except chocolate to a pitcher and stir to mix. Chill in fridge, or add ice cubes to chill quickly. Pour into Martini glasses and sprinkle each with shaved chocolate.

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Giveaway: Free Candy Buffet!

If you have ever been to an event planned by my company jessica laine celebrations, you will know that candy buffets and dessert tables are always a main feature and are in high demand! A candy buffet will certainly get your guests talking and will keep your party at the top of their mind for months. So to celebrate our first anniversary this February [the month of celebrations! Groundhog day, Olympics, Valentine's Day, Family Day, Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, Black History Month, Ash Wednesday, President's Day, Chinese New Year, etc.] I will be giving away 2 custom candy buffet/dessert tables to 2 lucky winners! Please post a comment below with your name and email address and the city your party is in by Sunday February 14th to be entered.

Good Luck!

Rules


Winners must live within the Greater Toronto Area or be hosting their event within the GTA. The event must be taking place in 2010. The event will have no more than 50 guests and the candy buffet/dessert table will offer no more than 8 different items. jessica laine celebrations is under no obligation to provide any other services besides providing buffet items, linens, table decor for candy table only, candy containers, and set up and tear down. Winners will be selected at random after 11:59 pm ET on Sunday February 14 2010.

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Tasty Tuesday: Super Bowl Sliders

I love football! However, I love the Super Bowl not only for the game, but also for the amazing spread of food that gets paraded out on this hallowed day! My favourite football snacks include veggies like bell peppers and crunchy carrots, chili with yummy corn chips, thick-crusted pizza with gooey cheese, buffalo wings and of course some cold beer! Here is a recipe I found for a new Super Bowl snack that you can try out for your party on Sunday. It calls for blue cheese, but if you're not a fan of it, try some St Paulin instead.

Photo Credit: Bill Milne

Recipe: Blue Cheese-Stuffed Bacon Sliders
[via NY Daily News]

Serves: 12

Ingredients

16 slices (1 pound) apple-smoked bacon
2 ripe but firm pears
About 1 tablespoon sugar
3 pounds coarsely ground sirloin, chilled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces (about ½ cup) crumbled blue cheese, at room temperature [or try St Paulin]
2 tablespoons olive oil plus about 1 teaspoon
Sea salt
24 soft, mini burger buns
2½ cups baby arugula leaves
1 small red onion (about the same diameter as the buns), very thinly sliced
1 pint basket cherry tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, and then drain on paper towels. Cut 8 of the slices crosswise into 3 pieces each; crumble the remaining bacon and set both aside separately.
Peel the pears, halve them lengthwise, and core them. Cut them crosswise into thin slices and put into a bowl. Toss with the sugar and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the meat, thyme, crumbled bacon and 1½ teaspoons pepper. Using your hands, knead together lightly. Form the mixture into 48 evenly sized balls (about 1 ounce each). Use the pointed end of an egg to make a small depression in half the patties. Fill them with a little mound of cheese, dividing it evenly among them. Top with the remaining patties, and then pinch them together around the cheese. Make sure the stuffing is completely enclosed. Pat and mold the burgers to fit the buns. The burgers can be shaped and refrigerated, covered, for several hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot or build a medium-hot fire in a barbecue. Generously season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
Cook the burgers in the skillet, in batches, turning once or twice, about 3 minutes for medium-rare. Do not press down on the patties. Be gentle when you turn the burgers so they do not break open. With a large spoon, baste the sliders several times with the fat in the pan. To grill the burgers, oil the grate, arrange the patties on it, and cover. Cook as above.
While the burgers cook, toast the buns in a toaster oven or under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat until lightly toasted. Or toast them on the outer perimeter of the grill rack.
When the burgers are done, remove them to a warm platter, keep warm, and let rest for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining teaspoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the pear slices, or place them on the outside of the grill rack, and cook just until warm and lightly browned. Turn and repeat, then remove to a plate. They should still be crunchy.
To build the burgers, arrange a few leaves of arugula on the bun bottoms. Top each with a pear slice or two, a piece of bacon and a burger. Add an onion slice and a bun top, and skewer securely together. Add a cherry tomato as a topknot, if you wish, on the skewer. Serve immediately.

What will you be serving at your Super Bowl Sunday party?

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Navigating the Tablescape: Super Bowl for Kids

The NFL's Super Bowl XLIV [Sunday February 7 @ 6:30pm ET on CBS] is a huge day for parties in North America. It is reportedly the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, after Thanksgiving! But the fun shouldn't just be for adults, kids should get in on the football, party and food action as well!

I put together a kidcentric, healthy treat version of a Super Bowl party tablescape that you can try out for your kids and their friends on Super Bowl Sunday. Here are my tips for making it happen! [Click on the images for a larger view]

Lay down an orange table cloth [plastic of course - this IS a kids party!]. Orange is one of Super Bowl XLIV's colours. As a mock table runner, use some football-textured loose paper that you can pick up at Michael's or a specialty stationery shop. Add some football-themed toys to your tabletop, like the Finger Football goalposts I used here. Put down some coloured Hefty plates or other disposable tableware at each place.

You can get foam footballs at any craft store, or you can use brown construction paper and chalk to make the placecards. Use a black pen or Sharpie marker to write the names of each child on the football and place it on the plate.

 
For the snack containers, use several clear glass containers or colourful, unusually shaped servingware. Arrange the snack containers along the table and fill them with yummy snacks that kids will enjoy eating. Try boxed raisins, crunchy baby carrot sticks, Babybel cheese and Skinny Sticks garden veggie flavour, all of which I have used here. Go for a good balance of colour and texture and packaged single serve items and kids will load up their plates. Put a football sticker or construction paper cutout shape on the front of each glass container. Remove the labels from some bottles of water, flavoured water or juice and replace them with a football sticker. Suddenly drinking a bottle of water is fun and cool because it fits with the theme!

Give the kids some sort of themed takeaway, like these football whistles, and arrange it on the table as well. Other things you could try are temporary tattoos, pencils, lanyards or shoelaces. Embellish your tablescape with any other unobtrusive items that relate to your football theme. I used some colourful pom-poms.

What will you be doing for Super Bowl Sunday?

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Tasty Tuesday: Big Batch BBQ Rub

For Christmas, I gave the boy a gift full of manly items. This book was the inspiration for the theme and in addition to that book I gave him a bunch of cool things that guys want/need. Among them: a Maglite flashlight, a gift certificate to a tattoo parlour, this cute little fire department tie tack [he's a firefighter] I got on Etsy and some homemade barbeque rub. I found the recipe on one of my favourite inspirational websites Real Simple when I saw a gift guide for homemade presents and I knew immediately that I had to make some for Kevin. I mean, what's manlier than barbequeing?

Photo Credit: Ka Yeung / Tinkerbox Studio Inc [via Real Simple]

The picture of the rub is different than what mine looked like. I mixed mine together as per the instructions, so I didn't get that layered look from the picture, but I didn't see how it would get properly mixed in the small glass jar if I didn't do it beforehand. So, forsaking the visual for quality, I decided to just mix it all together, but it still looked great. This is the jar that I used, just an inexpensive glass jar from Ikea. I actually had to make a little more to have enough to fill the jar, so when you are selecting a container for your rub and presentation matters, make sure you alter the recipe so that you have enough.

Big Batch Barbecue Rub Recipe [via Real Simple]

Makes 1 1/3 cups
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup paprika
3 tablespoons brown sugar [I used Golden Yellow Sugar]
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons ground coffee [I used Starbucks Sumatra<]
4 teaspoon kosher salt [I used Dean Jacob's Pacific Ocean Sea Salt]
1 tablespoons black pepper

Directions:
Combine the ingredients and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months.
Instructions to include with your gift: Up to 2 hours before cooking, coat 2 pounds of chicken, beef, pork, or seafood with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 2 to 4 tablespoons of the rub. Cook as desired.

We used the rub on some steaks we cooked up on Saturday night and it was delicious! When you make the rub and when you open the container, you will get a distinct coffee smell, but once you rub it into the meat, the coffee is not overly noticeable so don't worry, you won't be eating meat that tastes like a cup of coffee!

Did you give any homemade gifts this holiday season?

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Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars

Last week, I mentioned my love for Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars. Their moist yet crumbly texture with juicy cranberries and yummy icing can lure me to a Starbucks from miles away. So the other day as I was searching for recipes to use during the holiday season, imagine my excitement when I found this homemade spin on my Christmastime love [via SeriousEats.com via Cakespy as an adaption of a recipe by Mr. Breakfast]. Read on for the mouthwatering recipe below. I can't wait to try this one out for some DIY gift deliciousness this Christmas!

Photo Credit: Jessie Oleson

- makes 16 bars -

Ingredients for cake base:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Lindt)
1/4 cup candied ginger, finely chopped

Ingredients for frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
dash of salt

Ingredients for garnish:

1/3 cup white chocolate (either chips, or coarsely chopped bar chocolate)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

2. Make the cake. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy; add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Sift together flour, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt and then add to the butter and sugar mixture, beating until fully incorporated. This will be a very thick batter. Fold in the cranberries, chocolate and ginger. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until light golden. Let the cake cool before adding the frosting.

3. Make the frosting. Using the paddle attachment on an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy; add the lemon zest, vanilla, and salt; add the confectioners' sugar bit by bit until the frosting has reached your desired consistency (you may need less than the suggested amount). Spread the frosting evenly over the cake, and scatter the cranberries on top of the frosting immediately.

4. Make the drizzle. In a double boiler, melt white chocolate; once it is smooth, use a spoon and drizzle across the top of the frosted and cranberry-festooned cake.

5. Slice the bars immediately after applying the white chocolate drizzle. Slice in half lengthwise, and then slice into four equal parts horizontally. Slice each rectangle in half diagonally, and you will end up with 16 triangle-shaped bars.

Enjoy!

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Thirsty Thursday: Festive Flavours

Don't you love when the holiday lineup is unveiled at your favourite coffee shop? When the festive cups are brought out and the counter is lined with gingerbread men and candy canes? You may not know about the secret love I harbour for Starbucks' Cranberry Bliss Bar, but I will save that for another day. This post is an ode to my love for yummy yuletide beverages. I must say, I don't really branch out though when it comes to these drinks, but here are my favourites during The Season.

While I'm a little sad that Starbucks has done away with my beloved Peppermint Hot Chocolate [it's now something you can get year-round], it's really the red cups that do it for me. Seeing the first red cup of The Season really gets me in the Christmas mood. How can you not feel festive when you see one of these babies?Photo Credit: Starbucks

I hit up Williams Coffee Pub every Sunday night when I go watch the boy play hockey. Normally, I get a steamed white hot chocolate with loads of whip, but during The Season, I pick a Candy Cane Hot Chocolate. Mmm-mmm!

Photo Credit: Williams Coffee Pub

Those adorable little gingerpeople always call my name as I place my order, but I've been able to resist them so far [I don't know how long I can hold out for though!].

An identically named drink from Second Cup is another of my go-to hot bevs during The Season. The boy surprised me with one out of the blue yesterday and it honestly made my day! The whip they use at Second Cup is my favourite, so I make sure it gets piled on. Second Cup has a huge lineup of holiday drinks during The Season, I also like the Noel Nog, but I rarely order it since I love my hot chocolate too much!

Photo Credit: Second Cup

Any of these coffee shops, especially Williams, provide an excellent location and backdrop for an intimate gift exchange with a few girlfriends, or a post-skate/toboggan meet-up over the holidays. You can choose one of their delicious festive drinks, enjoy the ambiance and best of all there's no cleaning up afterward!

What is your favourite hot beverage of The Season?

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Tasty Tuesday: Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf

Photo Credit: FoodTv.ca

For Thanksgiving I tried out a recipe I'd never made before. I'd bought these cute little loaf pans from Michaels, but unfortunately they were more novelty than practical and the dessert I made in them didn't exactly turn out exactly as I'd hoped. Of the three I made, only one turned out, but apparently it was delicious which made me quite proud. So without further ado, here is the yummy recipe for pumpkin cranberry loaf!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• zest of one orange
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup orange, juice
• 1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and powder, salt and spices and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and stir in pumpkin purée, orange zest and vanilla. Stir in orange juice. Add dry ingredients in additions and blend just until incorporated. Fold in cranberries.
4. Spoon batter into loaf pan and bake in center of oven for 60 to 75 minutes until a tester inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.

I did mine in a small ceramic loaf pan and it took slightly longer than the indicated cooking time here.

What dessert did you make for Thanksgiving?

As seen on the Food Network show Sugar.

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Tasty Tuesday: Corn on the Cob

Photo Credit: stevendepolo

Is it weird that the boy's parents and my parents haven't met yet? We've been together for nearly two years, but Saturday will be the first time they've ever formally "met" each other. We are a little nervous, but I know it will go great. His mother is making a wonderful big meal for everyone which will include a roast and corn on the cob. Do you like corn on the cob? I was never much a fan of it as a kid, but I grew to really like the sweet crunch and hot juiciness of the delicious kernels. Smothering it in butter is my favourite way to enjoy the summer delight, but there are dozens of alternative toppings that you can try.

Canadian Living Magazine rounded up some interesting flavours to sample. Here is one I might try:

Provence Butter:
1/4 cup butter, softened; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; and 3/4 tsp herbes de Provence.

How do you like to eat corn on the cob?

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Thirsty Thursday: Cuba Libre

Photo Credit: Mike Fleming

Have you ever been to Cuba? If you have, there is no doubt you indulged in at least one Cuba Libre! If it weren't for rum punch, this would have easily been the favourite drink of my group of friends when we went to Cuba last February. Here in North America we just call them "rum and cokes", but the Cuban way [Spanish for "Free Cuba"] is a much more exotic and fun name for this IBA official cocktail. The origins of the popular libation are fuzzy and somewhat contradictory to say the least, but one thing is for certain: this highball is one for the ages!


Directions:

In a tall glass [highball] filled with ice, add 1 1/2 oz rum, 1/4 oz fresh lime juice and top with cola. Garnish with a lime wedge.


Do you enjoy Cuba Libres?

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Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Horseradish and Dill Dip

Photo Credit: Yunhee Kim via Real Simple

I have already had a few occasions this summer where I had to bust out the dip for entertaining purposes or otherwise... and I don't really even eat dip often myself! This recipe for Creamy Horseradish and Dill Dip from Real Simple landed in my inbox and I thought it would be a natural fit for Tasty Tuesdays and easy breezy summer veggie platters.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• dippers (such as celery sticks, cucumber rounds, and potato chips)

Directions

• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, horseradish, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until fluffy. Stir in the dill. Serve with the dippers.

Happy Dipping!

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Thirsty Thursday: Summer Beers

Summer is here and for many people that means enjoying a cold beer on the patio on a hot day. There are literally thousands of beers to choose from, but a select few get the honour of becoming "summer beers". Here are some suggestions to get the patio party started this summer.

Clockwise from top right are:

• Hop Back Brewery Summer Lightning
• Sam Adams Summer Ale
• Steam Whistle Pilsner
• Bud Light Lime
• Cracked Canoe [centre]

What's your favourite summer brew?


Available in Ontario at select LCBO and The Beer Store locations. Check with your local beer outlet for availability in your area.

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Tasty Tuesday: Bran Muffins

When I think of breakfasts at my grandparents' house as a little kid, the first thing I remember is a delicious warm bran muffin smothered in real butter. My mouth is watering just imagining it. When I stumbled upon these All Bran muffins made by FinnLover in the TeamSugar community, I knew I had to repost them here and give them a try. She puts a bit of a sweet but healthy spin on the traditional bran muffin, but I can't wait to test them out. These would be a perfect treat to serve at your breakfast party or family brunch.

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-bran cereal
* 1 1/4 cups milk
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
* 1/4 cup maple syrup
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom



DIRECTIONS
1) Stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine All-Bran cereal and milk. Let stand 5 minutes or until softened. Add.

2) Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.

3) Portion batter evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin-pan cups coated with cooking spray.

4) Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 mins or until lightly browned.

Serve warm. Yield: 12 muffins.

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finding inspiration: Soda Crates

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

The other day I was at Zeller's and I saw some Coca-Cola and Coors Light galvanized metal tubs, wooden crates and awesome vintage-y glassware. The kind of thing that would be so amazingly cool at a backyard barbeque! So in typical "me" fashion, I decided to check out some websites and see what the internet has to offer me. The ones above are from Pottery Barn, but they are now sold out. Although, they found them from many different sources, so plenty of similar ones are definitely out there. These crates would be great if you flipped them over and maybe laid your desserts out on them [especially awesome if your desserts are fruit cups or cupcakes or tarts or something individual].

Photo Credit: AllCola.com

Here is a cute metal tub from AllCola.com. Kill two birds with one stone: it's not only a décor piece, but fill it with ice and keep your pop bottles cold. How practical and adorable!

Photo Credit: Tavern Trove LLC

Is it just me or is this 1939 Coors Light Beer case absolutely fabulous? I think it would look perfectly sweet perched on your buffet table with some plates and cutlery on it for your guests to grab. Try putting an old beer or pop bottle with a single stem flower in it on top of or beside the crate.

Photo Credit: twotallgirls

Etsy has a bunch of amazing finds, as usual, using their "vintage" search feature. Being Canadian, I was kind of partial to the one above though. This would make a wonderful centrepiece filled with flowers! Or you could wrap up everyone's cutlery in a napkin or put it in their glass and put each one in a slot for them to take.

Photo Credit: Kathryn Speyer

You are probably familiar with my WeddingBee obsession, and I remember a few months back seeing Mrs. Cherry Pie posting about her country-chic wedding which included some fantastic vintage tubs and crates and her penchant for Mexican Coke. Above is a picture of what she did at her wedding with the tubs and crates. How cute!

If I can create some reason for a party, I will most likely be picking up some version of these crates and tubs. Have you ever used either for an event?

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TV Theme Menus

Photo Credit: Romulo Yanes

I am all about theme parties. I love the careful planning and attention to detail required to tie everything in together and I eagerly look for creative ways to pull various party elements into my theme such as food, décor, music, drinks, dress.
Epicurious wrote a great feature about menus and party plans inspired by your favorite shows. Included are Mad Men, Lost, Gossip Girl, The Office and more. I'm excited to try some of these out!

Thank you YumSugar for pointing me to Epicurious.

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finding inspiration: Mother's Day gifts

Photo Credit: Rick Audet

Mother's Day is fast approaching and there may be many of you out there who haven't found a gift for your mom (or other mother figure) yet. Luckily, the internet is a wonderful place for last minute shoppers to find some creative inspirations!

Photo Credit: LoveLeeSoaps

LoveLeeSoaps is an Etsy shop specializing in colourful and adorable soaps in creative and quirky shapes and sizes. The Blue Bird Nest soap would be a perfect gift for mom! Look how the mama bird is bent down over her egg babies... so cute!!


The philosophy Best Sellers Collection (available only at Sephora) is a box of philosophy's 5 most-loved products: Purity Made Simple One Step Facial Cleanser, Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, Hope in a Jar and Hope in a Tube. A great introduction to the philosophy line of products.

Photo Credit: LCBO

Tempus Two Copper Wilde Chardonnay is a full-bodied wine with layers of citrus and apple, made by an all-female team at a boutique winery in New South Wales, Australia's Hunter Valley. If your mom is a wine lover, she is sure to appreciate this!

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn's Pendleton Merino Wool Throw (currently marked down to half the original price!) is a beautiful and incredibly soft luxurious blanket for mom to curl up in.

What will you be giving your mom for Mother's Day?

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Amazing Aprons

Photo Credit: Anthropolgie

Aprons have come a long way, baby! They are definitely more than 'Kiss the Cook' these days; fashion-forward hostesses are wearing chic cover-ups that are just as show-stopping as the outfit underneath! I have been reading all over the place about amazingly stylish aprons lately (namely here and here) and I actually meant to write this post last week but I just didn't have the time. Couture aprons are popping up everywhere and I am officially hooked! I need to get one asap!

The apron above is a surprisingly affordable piece ($34.51 CAD) from the delightful anthropologie. There are even matching oven mitts! Adorable! I can feel my devil horns poking out of my head as I type this.

Photo Credit: Smocks

This little beauty is from Smocks aprons. Smocks are 'inspired by contemporary designers, we created Smocks to protect a woman's wardrobe while also complementing it' and are designed to fit a woman's body. They even have different cuts and fits to ensure that your Smock is practical and flattering.*sigh*

Photo Credit: John Price Photo

Haute Hostess Aprons are an awesome product line by celebrity event planner and philathropist Elizabeth Scokin. There are three styles of apron, Glam it Up (like the one pictured above), Glam it Up Luxe and Give Me Sugar. I want every colour in every style, period. The Give Me Sugar aprons (like the one below) are especially exquisite though, and I think the bridal collection would make perfect bridal party gifts, bridal shower gifts or stagette/bachelorette party favours or gifts. There are tons of holiday themed patterns and colours available; something for every occasion including Christmas, Hallowe'en and homecoming parties! They are all 50% off right now (except the Haute Host and Bridal collections) so if I'm really good, I might get one!

Photo Credit: John Price Photo

Do you have a special apron that you wear for entertaining?

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