Operation Shower: Sea to Shining Sea

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of helping out with my second Operation Shower event, this time in Norfolk, VA. This event was organized to "shower" expecting women whose husbands were deployed and serving on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN77) and was given a coordinating nautical "Sea to Shining Sea" theme.

Operation Shower's Chief Event Organizer, Amy Belle Isle, did another fabulous job designing the event. Nautical elements were incorporated throughout, including the graphic designs, table centerpieces, and food and dessert tables. One of my absolute favorites designed all of the graphics for the shower, Lindi of Love the Day. She rocks! Other amazing talents that were helping out with the event included Chris of Celebrations At Home, Ebony of Sparkling Events and Designs, and Deanna of 5 to 9 Events. These women made an already worth-while event a complete joy to be a part of. It is so nice to be able to come together and work with such a talented group of women for an amazing organization AND have so much FUN at the same time. Love them all!

Any guesses what Amy used to create the dessert table's backdrop? Place mats! It was such a creative idea and it looked great at the event. Not so much fun hanging it, though :)  Sugarland Bakery came all the way from Chapel Hill the morning of the shower to deliver the adorable nautical themed cake that they created for the event. These girls are seriously talented and equally as sweet themselves! Just Pop In donated the mini popcorn bags and Firefly Confections sent the cutest little cookies for the event.

Many generous vendors came together and donated so many wonderful items for this event. In addition to the "showers in a box" that each mother received, everyone was gifted a stroller, bath tub, clothing, diaper bags, boppy's, handmade booties and hats, diapers, and much, much more. It was an amazing day full of celebrating, honoring, and truly "showering" these women. They are part of a much larger group of men, women, and families that sacrifice so much for our country every day and I hope that they felt the love, appreciation, and support that everyone involved with Operation Shower strives to bestow upon them on their special day . I truly feel blessed and am grateful to have been able to participate in another Operation Shower event.

Also, a big thank you to Stephanie of Lifeography for all of the wonderful photographs. You can learn more about Operation Shower, what they do, and how you can help, here.

The girls: Chris (Celebrations At Home), Amy (Operation Shower), me  (Sheek Shindigs), Ebony (Sparkling Events and Designs), and Lindi (Love the Day).

{Local Talent} With Love Photography

This past July, I had the honor of working with a wonderful new photographer in the Northern Virginia area, Kerri Gibbs of With Love Photography. Kerri was extremely easy to work with and the results were equally as pleasing (my 4th of July table design and Kerri's photos were featured over at The Tomkat Studio, here). With Love Photography uses Kerri's blended style of portrait and lifestyle photography to capture some of your family's most precious moments and preserve them in photos that will last a lifetime.

For a limited time, With Love Photography is offering a Portfolio Building Special. If you live locally, this is a great opportunity, whether updating your family portrait, capturing a special event, or getting an amazing stand-out photo for this year's holiday card. In addition to the special, With Love Photography will also be hosting fall mini-sessions on Saturday, October 1st. Visit With Love Photography, here, for all of the details and contact information.

{Guest Post} Flower Pops From The Decorated Cookie!

Hi everyone, and thank you to Sarah for inviting me to guest post!

I was a cookie decorator at a shop for ten years. After I left to stay home with my daughter, I started my blog, the decorated cookie. There I share ideas for decorating cookies as well as marshmallows, cupcakes, and other crafty sweets. I'm also the Edible Crafts editor for CraftGossip, so I spend much of my days mining the internet for all of your crafty sweets, too. The idea I'm sharing today is similar to a craft featured in my second cookbook, which will be published later this year. So you get a sneak peek today.

I'm a huge fan of anything on a stick (a fact of which my Edible Crafts readers are well aware), so I make lots and lots of cookie pops. These flower pops are very easy to make, especially for first-time cookie decorators. Sprinkles cover everything (like mistakes). Even after years of decorating cookies, I frequently use sprinkles as a quick decorating tool.

Use these as personalized party favors or as placecards. You can insert the pops into a Styrofoam block that is covered with tissue paper to display at a party. Or, insert into a cupcake for cupcake toppers.

how to make flower cookie pop favors

you will need:*

sugar cookie dough
royal icing

circle cookie cutter

food coloring

disposable decorating bags

couplers

size "5" decorating tips

rubber bands

lollipop sticks

sprinkles or sanding sugar

paint brush

wax paper

green or patterned cardstock

scissors

glue stick

*You may use any recipe for cookies and icing you prefer, but I provided links to my recipes above. I used a 2-inch circle cookie cutter, buy you may use any comparable size under 3 inches. You'll need one bag, coupler and tip for each color you choose, and buy sprinkles in each of the same colors. Find the cutter, decorating bags, couplers, tips, lollipop sticks, sprinkles, paint brush, cardstock, scissors and glue stick at any major craft store. For food coloring, I suggest Americolor soft gel pastes, available in specialty stores and online (amazon.com carries these). I used Egg Yellow, Sky Blue, Electric Pink, Electric Green and Electric Purple.

step one: bake your cookies

Prepare dough according to the recipe, chill, roll out about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick, cut out circles, insert the lollipop sticks and bake according to the recipe. Let cool completely. Tips: Make sure to chill your dough, as it makes it easier to insert the stick. Insert the stick at the center of the cookie's thickness, about half way into the cookie, and arrange on the tray so the sticks aren't touching.

step two: prepare your icing

Prepare icing according to the recipe, divide and tint your preferred colors. Prepare decorating bags with couplers and tips, fill with the colors and close tightly with rubber bands.

step three: decorate your cookies

Work with one cookie at a time. Pipe a circle on the cookie, then pipe back and forth to fill the circle completely. Immediately coat the cookie with a generous sprinkling of sprinkles in a coordinating color. Turn over to remove excess.

step four: paint the stick and add leaves

Pour a few drops of green food coloring on a piece of wax paper. Add a couple drops of water and mix. Paint the lollipop sticks green and let dry. Cut out a leaf shape on a folded piece of green or patterned cardstock so you have two leaves connected with a fold at the center (note I made a little "tab" so they wrapped around the stick more easily). Write a name on the leaf, if desired, and use the glue stick to attach around the lollipop stick. Let the cookies dry overnight.

Thank you everyone for letting me visit! Happy baking!

Meaghan

National Capital Area Cake Show

Thanks to the hubby, I was able to have a girls morning out yesterday with a great friend at The National Capital Area Cake Show. This was my first time at the event and I really enjoyed seeing ALL of the amazing talent that is out there.

The event featured displays of cake and cupcake artwork, vendors, a bake sale, and ongoing demonstrations and classes by world-class sugar artist. There were also Live Cake and Cupcake Challenges that occurred later in the day. Maybe next year I will be able to catch those. I did participate in a hour-long cupcake decorating class with my friend, Mindy. We learned different icing techniques as well has how to work with fondant. Mindy already has mad cake/cupcake decorating skills. I, on the other hand, came away with a few great tips as well as a greater appreciation for the art of cake and cupcake decorating. I think that I will stick to event design! I came away from this event inspired by some pretty creative pieces (and feeling refreshed from a girls morning out!). Here are a few of my favorites: How cute are these Apple Basket CUPCAKES. Yep, they are cupcakes. I know...amazing. Scrabble, anyone? The detail was amazing on this cake. This masterpiece was created using Edible Image decorations. I was not familiar with this type of product prior to the event and was amazed at the endless possibilities that it offers decorators. L-O-V-E this silhouette cake! If I recall correctly, a Silhouette Machine was used to create the images on this cake. How cute would this be for a birthday party! *I wish that I was able to give credit to the artist that created the cakes/cupcakes above. Since they were on display for the challenges, they were numbered and not labeled with specific vendor/artist information.*

A Cupcake Shooters Container Giveaway!

A few weekends ago I had the privelege of getting together with a group of amazingly talented women that are local to the Northern VA, DC, MD area. It was a lunch date filled with inspiration, motivation, and information, not to mention GREAT company! One of these fabulous women was Kate of CupKate's Event Design. I liked Kate from the beginning, but I LOVED Kate after she introduced me to a fabulous new cupcake concept: Cupcake Shooters! I am not sure where I was when these popped up, but I am so glad that I know about them now. Thanks Kate!


Aren't these a brillant idea! What a fun twist on the traditional cupcake for your next Shindig. They could be the main dessert attraction or stand on the sidelines as a fabulous party favor. My own kids tried them out and gave rave reviews. They loved the "fun" factor and I loved the fact that they eliminated the usual crumbly, icing- covered mess that a "normal" cupcake leaves in our house. Major bonus! In addition to offering amazing full party design, custom dessert tables and online event consultation, CupKate's Event Design is now selling push-pop containers over at Etsy. Now you can make your own Cupcake Shooters for your next Shindig!


CupKate's Event Design is this week's Giveaway sponsor and will be awarding one lucky follower with 2 dozen push-pop containers! Here's how you can ENTER TO WIN:

Become a follower of Sheek Shindigs (if you aren't already) and ...

1. Become a follower of the CupKate's Event Design blog, here, and leave a comment that you did so.
2. "Like" Sheek Shindigs on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so.
3. "Like" CupKate's Event Design on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so.
4. Post a link to this Giveaway on your Facebook page and leave a comment that you did so.

This giveaway will be open to entries from now (March 16th ) until Wednesday, March 23rd at 11:59 pm. You must be a Sheek Shindigs follower (or become one) to be elegible to win. Each person may enter up to 4 seperate times. A random winner will be chosen and announced on Thursday, March 24th. So...go check out these fun push-pop containers at the CupKate's Event Design Etsy shop and enter to win!

Good Luck!

{Local Talent} The Decorated Cookie

Once again, I'm completely amazed by, and really excited to introduce, another Northern VA/DC Metro local talent. Cookie lovers (and admirers), meet Washington, DC's Meaghan Mountford and the decorated cookie. Meaghan is a stay-at home mom AND a writer, cookie decorator, and designer of cookie kits. After working for almost a decade as head decorator for a cookie shop, Meaghan wrote her first book called Cookie Sensations and is currently working on her second. Her cookies have appeared in "The Washington Post," "Modern Bride," "The New York Times," and "Chocolatier Magazine." Meaghan also has an amazing blog called the decorated cookie. Man, and I thought that I was busy!

The decorated cookie is as informative as it is eye-pleasing, highlighting Meaghan's decorated cookies, painted marshmallows, and other crafty sweets. It includes fabulous pictures of Meaghan's work as well as step-by-step instructions, recipes, supply resources, and tips. Here is a sampling of her work (starting with my personal favorite!):



Pretty AMAZING, right? Stop by and visit the decorated cookie...you won't be disappointed!

Side Note: I am so excited to announce that Meaghan has agreed to do a guest post feature for Sheek Shindigs this spring. Hooray! I can't wait to see what she comes up with. Stayed tuned ...

HAPPY Cupcake to Go {Local} GIVEAWAY!

If you follow regularly, you know that I absolutley LOVE finding local talent that I can share with my followers to help them make their Shindigs as fabulous as possible. Today's featured business will do just that! Let me introduce you to Northern Virginia's newest Cupcake Shop "on wheels":

"HAPPY Cupcake To Go is a full service cupcake shop "on wheels", where the creativity is put in to the customers' hands and the convenience is unmatched! With HAPPY Cupcake To Go, you have the option of choosing delectable cupcakes from a vast array of irresistible flavors or you have the ability to be creative and customize mini cakes for your special event or occasion. From simple and sweet, to layered and filled, or piped and topped; the ideas are endless. To top it off, all cupcake orders will be delivered right to your, or your recipient's, doorstep". What an amazing idea, right? One less thing to have to run out and pick up the next time you are planning or hosting an event. Talk about convenience!

Owner, Kristin Idle, knows first hand the pleasure of convenience. With a family that is always on the go, years of experience in project planning and marketing, a love for baking, a knack for detail and style, and a sweet tooth that won't quit!, starting a business that meshed all these qualities into one seemed natural... and so became HAPPY Cupcake To Go!


HAPPY Cupake To Go offers a heavenly variety of "standard" cupcake flavors as well as a Seasonal Happy Dozen and Mini Cupcake options. All cupcakes are baked fresh on the day of your order, using only the finest ingredients to ensure that the quality of each cupcake is unmatched. Here is a little glimpse at some of the yummies that HAPPY Cupcake To Go offers:





HAPPY Cupcake To Go is sponsoring this week's local GIVEAWAY! If you live in Fairfax, Loudoun, & Prince William Counties (VA), you are eligible to win a GIFT CERTIFICATE from HAPPY Cupcake To Go for 4 Dozen Mini Cupcakes and FREE Delivery! (Gift certificate is valid until 6/30/2011 and is limited up to 2 cupcake flavors)

This GIVEAWAY will be open until from now until Tuesday, February 21st at 11:59pm. One random winner will be chosen and anounced on February 22nd, 2011. To enter to win:

Become a follower of the Sheek Shindigs blog (if you aren't already) and...

1. Visit the HAPPY Cupcake to Go website, here, and leave a comment back at this post with your favorite flavor(s)

2. "Like" Sheek Shindigs on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so here

3. Follow HAPPY Cupcake To Go on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so here

4. Post about this Giveaway on your Facebook page (with a link) and leave a comment here letting us know that you did so

** You may have a total of 4 enteries to win!! **

Good Luck!!

Local Love: Magpie's Cake

I recently read about Magpie's Cake on one of my favorite local blogs, the ritzy bee. Magpie’s Cake offers the Washington DC Metro area a unique, fresh interpretation of cake creation. Drawing on her background as a classical ballet dancer, Chef and owner Maggie LaBaugh creates confections which display symmetry, elegance, detail, and sophistication. With the subtle yet unmistakable mark of haute couture, Magpie’s Cake is the cake for those who will not settle for “off the rack”. Magpie's Cake is yet another gem within the DC Metro area.







For more information on Magpie's Cake, click here.