Andy's 30th Birthday Party

Andy couldn't turn 30 without some celebration, so I surprised him with a backyard barbecue party. I didn't really have a theme, just a color scheme that I stuck to- red, blue and green. It was inspired by some fantastic Alison paper plates that I got from Crate & Barrel. Frank Hedley, our local BBQ genius, provided the amazingly delicious pulled pork and beef brisket, the cake was from Laramie's fabulous bakery, Home Bakery, and was a white cake with strawberry filling. Vicky Cass let me use her gorgeous backyard- which was full of flowers and an incredible koi pond that it was hard to keep people away from. I made the rest of the food (fruit pizza, stuffed strawberries, baked beans, queso sauce, bean salsa, etc.) and decorations and did the simple but pretty flowers. Favors were clear boxes filled with (of course) red, blue and green Jelly Belly jelly beans and a customized sticker that wished Andy a happy 30th!

Cupcakes!

If you've never contemplated a cupcake, there's no time like the present to do that. So many varieties! So many ways to decorate them! Fillings! I made some last week that turned out better than I expected- especially since they were mostly cheater cupcakes. A box of yellow cake mix, 8 oz. of Sprite, a box of vanilla pudding and some raspberry preserves and 20 minutes and a tub of cream cheese frosting later and I had some delicious treats. I won't tell anyone if you use my cheater 'dump' method...

Orange and Chocolate Dinner Party

This Friday was my Orange and Chocolate girls-only dinner party. I think it went well and it was definitely fun. I had orange and chocolate appetizers (yes- chocolate appetizers!), orange punch with optional vanilla run or orange vodka and choco-tinis for starters. My menu included an orange salad with homemade citrus vinaigrette, Caribbean shrimp pasta and asparagus with an orange creme sauce and chopped cashews. Not that we needed it, but I also served orange parfaits for dessert. Fresh Flower Fantasy here in Laramie did my flowers and I was really happy with their outcome. I also have to mention how amazing and patient my husband was with me and all my crazy planning and preparations for this dinner.

Starting Out

I wanted to create a space where I can showcase my ideas for entertaining and events. Hosting creative dinners and parties for my friends and family has become one of my favorite interests. Some day I'd like the opportunity to do this as a career, but until then... it'll have to remain just a hobby.