Wine Tasting Wedding Shower

This morning I was browsing Etsy.com to find things for the wine tasting wedding shower my friends and I will be throwing for our best friend, Julia. First let me start by saying that Etsy.com is probably one of my favorite things ever created.  I can spend hours, even days, browsing on site where crafters sell their homemade goods. From my research, here are my favorite finds:

Invitations




Party Supplies








Gift for Bride








Favors



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Perfect Party Supplies

While on the search for items to feature at Lindsey's upcoming circus-themed baby shower, I have come across so many cute, adorable, hard-to-pass-up party supplies.  Of course, I cannot purchase them all for this party, but they are definitely on my list for upcoming occasions. I thought I would share some of my favorites. I 'm sure you will love them too!

I discovered the website, Shop Sweet Lulu, and fell in love...










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Last Remnants of Summer

A couple weeks ago, I joined the boyfriend and his family for a trip to Hilton Head. I had never been to Hilton Head before, but it seemed like the place to go this year. To date, I know four people from my office and three friends who visited there this summer.  

We stayed in a condo with a golf course view and lagoons down the drive.  We spotted numerous alligators in our plantation which provide much laid-back entertainment.  We also rode bikes (with cute baskets) everywhere. What a life it would be living in Hilton Head! I would love to ride my bike to the grocery, a movie or shopping.  Great exercise and cheap transportation!

Other highlights of the trip include our kayaking excursion paddling along dolphins and a day trip to the neighboring town of Savannah, Georgia.  I have seen dolphins at a distance in the ocean or up close at Sea World, but it is hard to describe the magic and awe of having dolphins swim so close to you while paddling in their natural habitat.  Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera on this excursion and regretted every moment of it.  Luckily, other people from our party brought theirs (see pictures below).  

Our trip to Savannah was memorable.  We took a trolley tour through Savannah as the guide provided insight on each historical marker and highlight.  Let me start my Savannah recap by saying that I would LOVE to live in this town.  I have always been a big history buff. I love all things vintage and ancient... especially historical homes.  I think most of my pictures from the trip consisted of houses and buildings in Savannah.  Each home was surrounded with perfectly manicured landscaping and featured supreme attention to architectural detail. 

Hilton Head Island




(dolphin tail)



(our alligator friend)


Day Trip to Savannah, GA


















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Yummy Cake Pops & Cake Balls


Have you had one of these Starbucks cake pops yet?  Only $1.50 and less than 200 calories.  Yes, please!  Birthday cake, the pink pop in the center, is my favorite flavor from Starbucks.  When I brought a selection of all three flavors (Rocky Road, Birthday Cake and Teramusiu) back to my office, my coworkers went crazy over them.  This led us to Google "receipes for Starbucks cake pops." Our Google search yielded this recipe by the author of Single Working Housewife .

The recipe seemed easy enough so I set out to conquer the world of cake balls and cake pops last weekend. I started with supplies already found in my pantry...


Supplies:
Box of Cake Mix (plus listed ingredients)
Icing
Sprinkles
Baker's Chocolate

Because I did not have lollipop sticks, I decided to forgo the "pop" concept and try my hand at cake balls.  I was surprised how simple the recipe appeared.  While I learned the recipe is pretty simple, it does take a lot of time. 

Cake Ball Recipe

Step 1: Bake cake according to box directions.  Allow cake to cool 1 to 1.5 hours

Step 2: Once cake is cool, crumble into a bowl


Step 3: Melt icing in microwave for 20 seconds (until "melty"). Stir icing into crumbled cake bowl.


Step 4: Form cake balls




Step 5: Freeze cake balls for 1 hour


Step 6: Take cake balls out of the freezer.  Melt chocolate in microwave


Step 7. Dip balls into melted chocolate and decorate with your choice of sprinkles





The Final Product:


A special thanks to my Aunt April and cousin, Betsy, for joining the cake ball-making party! 


Happy baking!
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