December 11, 2011 · 10:17 pm

Easy Christmas Candy Houses

Easy Candy Houses

 
 

Making Candy Houses. Macy age 6

 

Candy House Scene

 
 
 

For years we have made candy houses for a christmas craft and decoration.  Just like traditional gingerbread houses ours are decorated with candy, cookies and royal icing but I dont have to sweat building the structure.  Our candy houses are built with a sturdy cardboard box base. Juice boxes, milk cartons, cake boxes and other small boxes are perfect to use as long as the cardboard is not too thin because it has to hold alot of weight from the icing and candy.  Its a super easy craft that lets kids jump right in and build their Sugarplum Dream House without fear of the house breaking.  And most importantly the sky is the limit when you are using cardboard….every year we do a skyscraper! 

 
 

Candy house villages

 

Candy houses arranged on a cakeplate

Pepermint cottages

 

The only tricky part of this craft is the getting the correct consistently with the royal icing.  You need it to be thick and full of meringue powder to dry quickly holding the candy pieces in place.  I work the boxes on their side, one side at a time, so there is some drying time involved before you can complete one house.  This craft will take a few hours.  We usually build entire villages and display them as sets on separate cake boards or I arrange them on cake plates. 

 
 

Brooklyn Candy Houses

 

Candy House Party

 
 

We have hosted Candy House Parties and asked that everyone bring 2 bags of candy and a few boxes.  The more variety the more creative you can be, but some candys are a must.  Definately pick up M&M’s, pepermints, gumdrops, Neco waffers and graham crackers.  Creating additional trees from gumdrop covered styrofoam cones or paper can turn a few houses into a village scene.  Dont forget the paths, mailboxes, lamp posts and ponds and add Schleich animals or Lego men to inhabit the village.  My favorite part of this craft is it is one that I let go of my perfectionist tendency and just let the kids create, our houses never look like a storybook gingerbread house and I dont mind a bit because its candy and no matter how they turn out they always look colorful and fun.

Dont miss my favorite Winter Candy Craft, Sugar Cube Igloos here.

1 Comment

Filed under Holiday

Tagged as , , , , , ,

December 10, 2011 · 1:24 pm

Sugar Cube Igloo

Sugar cube igloo

We have a few holiday craft traditions and this spectacular sugar cube igloo is one of them.  Its so easy to make and will last for years if you take care of it.  I first saw this igloo in an Anthropologie store, they have the most creative displays of course but this one was practical enough to copy at home.  Instead of trying to stack up and create an igloo form like a real Eskimo, use half of styrofoam ball as the base.  Then its simple to glue on the sugar cubes with Elmers craft glue.  We styled our igloo display with Schleich animals dressed for the holidays with red string bows and a red liquorice tree that I made in using a styrofoam cone as well.

Sugar cube igloo, liquorice tree and Schleich animals Christmas decoration

Dont miss my next craft and christmas decoration post: Easy Candy Houses

2 Comments

Filed under Holiday, SugarCoated

Tagged as , , , ,

December 7, 2011 · 12:30 am

Happy Birthday Dear Sister

Baby Jessica Summer 1987

On December 7th 1986 my dad took me and my younger brother to see the movie “An American Tail”,  later that night our little sister was born. Today she celebrates her 25th birthday.  Now that we are both adults our 6 1/2 year difference doesnt seem like much, I forget sometimes that she doesnt have the same early childhood memories as me, I feel like she should also remember how I used to sit in the kitchen floor and feed her a bottle while our mom cooked dinner or that I taught her how to climb out of her crib when she was 2.

Nikki and Jessica Spring 1997

But loving memories like those didnt start for her until later on.  We didnt play well together growing up, in fact we didnt get along much at all, she was (and still is in some ways) what all “last babies” are…a brat!  Oh! the the knock down, drag out fights we would have!  When she was 12 I left for college never to return to the home or state I grew up in.

Jesscia Senior 2005

It was during her high school years that we grew to be friends as she looked up to me for advice and support.  I have always been a cheerleader for her accomplishments and she has always been the little sister determind on making her own way.  For years my home, no matter what state it was in, has been her second home. She stayed school breaks and summers with me and my husband and we took her on vacation with us too.

Jessica and Baby Emma Spring 2008

When she became a mother, my circle of love instantly grew.  I know that even though I see my niece only a few times a year the love my sister and I have for each other makes it easy for my niece to learn to adore me as if I was there with her everyday.

Nikki and Jes Thanksgiving 2011

Today we are best friends, we talk or text at least 10 times a day.  We have no secrets and we always have time to listen to each others rambling, no matter how mundane.  We dont agree on everything, we are definately as different as our hair color.  We dont judge or compete and we arent afraid to critique with honesty because we know that we will support each other no matter what. I’m proud of the life she has made and the love she as found with her new husband and I wish her many more years of Happy Birthdays.  I love you Jes.
You can follow my amazingly talented and creative sister here   capturedbyjes.blogspot.com
UPDATE*** I get a ton search terms for “baby Jessica”  If you are looking for the little baby that fell down the well in 1987, it wasn’t my sister.  Although they were born the same year, I vividly  remember following the story on the news for days (she was trapped for 58 hours) and how glad we all were that our baby Jessica was safe next to us.

1 Comment

Filed under Holiday

Tagged as ,

Aside

Snowflake Cake

One Christmas years ago, my husbands grandmother asked me if I would like to make the holiday cake for their family’s christmas dinner.  For as long as GranNana has had her own family she has made them a special coconut cake for christmas dinner.  So, YES I was very honored and nervous she was passing the torch on to me.  This was very early in my cake making life but my red velvet Snowflake cake knocked the socks off everyone!

Snowflake Cake by Nikki Berry

 
 I didnt want to try to recreate the coconut cake that my husband’s GranNana had made for over 50 years.  I needed to make something new and different and spectacular.  I knew that it would be white and red velvet, but it was a wedding cake covered in glistening snowflakes that inspired me to attempt a new decorating medium.   All of my cakes are a learning experience, I am self-taught in each technique I pick up.  This was my frist time using royal icing and although Im still nowhere near a pastry artist is piping skills, these simple snowflakes turned out just right.   The cake sat so proudly in my husband’s aunt’s antebellum formal dinning room and most of the 50 family member thought that years cake was ordered from a bakery.
 

Red Velvet Snowflake Christmas Cake

 
To make the royal icing snowflakes I traced images of illustrated snowflakes under wax paper.  I chose the best looking and unbroken snowflakes for the sides and piled full and partial snowflakes on the top.  It was a happy accident that it turned into a  lovely topper.
 
 

Royal Icing Snowflakes

This has always been one of my favorite cakes, I repeated it ( I dont usually repeat cakes) for Macy’s NewYears  Tea Party and plan to make it anytime I get the chance to show it off again. 

Comments Off on Snowflake Cake

December 1, 2011 · 10:59 pm
November 30, 2011 · 7:24 pm

Small Town Brooklyn

This past Saturday was Small Business Saturday.  I hope that you all took a nice leisurely stroll with your families and stopped in at some local shops for Christmas gifts like I did.  Well…I also shopped for myself.  Take a look at my find:

Vintage Booties from Once Again Thrift Shop in Cobble Hill

I dont know the origin or age but they are not new, mint condition and were only $18!  I found them at a little thrift shop called Once Again Thrift Shop at 114 Smith St Bklyn.  I was actually on the hunt for my sister a birthday gift when we found them together.  She claims that she picked them up first but I think we each had a hand on one at the same time.  I tried them on first and they fit, LUCKY me!  They fit her too but I begged her to let me have them… then she paid for them for me, lol.  It was a cash only shop, I only had my AmEx on me.

By Brooklyn, Cobble Hill

I did find my sister a birthday gift from another of my favorite local shops, By Brooklyn at 261 Smith St Bklyn.  Just as its name states this store sells goods made in Brooklyn.  Everything is unique and personal, the perfect place to find a gift.  My sister picked out a brass necklace with a tiny owl.  I also found a silver key necklace for my daughter Macy, who covets my Tiffany Key but is too young for such a luxury item yet.

Brass Owl Charm from By Brooklyn, Captured by Jes photo

My Brooklyn neighborhood is sometimes called BoCoCa because three areas combine almost seamlessly, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill & Carroll Gardens.  We’ve read that it was once just called Red Hook or South Brooklyn.  It seems that Brooklyn is regarded as a place for creative individuals but its not an area that I would describe as “artsy”, just casual and unique. There are many stylists, designers & authors living here.  Not many Hipsters or the new breed, Prepsters around, that’s Williamsburg.  Lots of young families, lots of French (because my daughters school P.S. 58 has a very unique Dual Language program that is partially funded by the French Embassy) and whats left of an older Italian generation that was here before the Yuppies invaded. Oh and we have many celebs, Michelle Williams, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Keri Russell (I passed her and her son on the sidewalk one day).  And Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce & Jay-Z were at a birthday party at the park across from my daughters school last month (you can see the photos on this blog) although news of their visit spread like wildfire, Brooklyners dont really make a big deal out of it.   You can just be yourself here, famous or not.  What we dont have much of is tourists and I’m so happy for that!  I once lived on Broadway at Wall St right next to Trinity Church and spent every day pushing through tourists and business men.

Typical Brownstones in my Brooklyn neighborhood

I walk alot in our neighborhood, which is one of the reasons I like it, its two main commerce streets Smith St and Court St are the main arteries of our “small town”.  Hundreds of mom n’ pop stores line the streets, there is a bit of grittiness that keeps the rents affordable for small business owners.   Mixed in with some  gentrification, that I dont really like although it is probably necessary to keep other business afloat.  Im a supporter of the 3/50 Project -Saving the bricks and mortars our nation is built on.  Although I feel that an online presence is also necessary, in this day and age it is becoming a lost past time to take the time to stroll through a small shop.   Im happy that sites like Big Cartel and Etsy allow us to shop from individuals far and wide and Pop Up Shops let people experiment with an idea but we shouldn’t forget to frequent business right outside our doorsteps.  Maybe one day I’ll figure out my own interior design/craft/cake/event niche and have the opportunity to open my own shop, my husband dreams of having a toy store, my sister wants her own photography studio.  Maybe we will go in together and have a MishMash Shop!

Im proud to say that we frequent the shops in our neighborhood more than we do big box and online, here are some of the shops Im in at least once a week:

-I buy produce every couple of days from K&Y Fruit and Vegetable at 291 Court St Bklyn.

Gourmet Fresh - Carroll Gardens

-For items I missed on our twice a month Target stock up I shop at Gourmet Fresh at 437 Court St Bklyn.

-We buy birthday gifts at Pizzazzz Toyz 281 Court St Bklyn and sometimes baby items at its sister store right next door.

Black Gold Records & Coffee Shop, Carroll Gardens

Victorian Taxidermy at Black Gold Records Coffee Shop

-Coffee at Black Gold Records at 461 Court St Bklyn, you’ve never seen a coffee shop like this, records and victorian taxidermy and a story behind it all.

Olafs Men's Vintage

– Brother and Sister vintage shops: Olives Very Vintage at 434 Court St and Olafs Men’s Vintage at 453 Court St Bklyn.

-For a quick after school treat we love F. Monteleone Bakery and Cafe at 355 Court St Bklyn, the pasteries are small and still inexpensive.

–Winn Discount FCR at 299 Court St Bklyn is like an entire big box store crammed into a mom n’ pop and I do mean crammed but trust me they have anything you need.

–Mazzone True Value at 470 Court St Bklyn, Im not gonna lie, I frequent the Lowes a block away but this hardware store carries Benjamin Moore paint and is also in my path to school so Im in there often.

All of these stores are less than a mile from my front door.  Not included in my daily erands are some much talked about restaurants Frankies 457 Spuntino, Prime Meats and Buttermilk Channel (which is on my street), my husband and I dont have to go more than 2 blocks when we want to celebrate at an upscale restaurant. Our area is well known to Foodies and we try to choose a new place each time we go out to eat.

Macy in Boerum Hill

My building Hunt Lofts, Huntington St - Carroll Gardens

I could go on and on about how much I love our Brooklyn neigborhood.  We have been here only a year but already feel a since of belonging and fulfiment to our need to be close to the hustle and bustle (we are 2 miles from the Brooklyn Bridge) yet still have a small town community experience.  I think we are planning to stick around here for a long time.

Comments Off on Small Town Brooklyn

Filed under Brooklyn Love

Tagged as , , , , ,

November 14, 2011 · 10:04 am

Dwell Studio Modern Thanksgiving Contest

I’ve had such a fun weekend!  I have shopped for my dream Thanksgiving table as part of a contest for Dwell Studio.  By using Pinterest, My Modern Thanksgiving board was easy to pull together through my favorite online retailers.  But I couldn’t just stop at the tabletop….I designed the entire dining room!  My design started with two favorite pieces from my personal collection: Orange Air Chairs from Jasper Morrison & Marimekko Unikko print fabric. From there my inspiration was vintage Scandinavian design and gold tones. Add it all together and it equals a beautiful dining room that is Modern yet speaks of vintage uniqueness. Each piece is carefully selected to balanced in the room based on its shape, color and style significance.   My choices are a mixture of highs and lows and I tried to stay off the beaten path of mainstream resources, maybe you’ll see a store that you didn’t know about or havent thought about shopping from before.  Some of the items I own, some are on my wish list and some are on my “in my dreams” list.  There are more than 35 items and I invite you to view my Pinterest board here for product resources.  If you aren’t on Pinterest, you are missing out on the latest design tool and social obsession, give it a try!

Dwell Studio Modern Thanksgiving by Nikki Berry

If you have a closer look at my selections I’ll walk you through why it all works nicely together.  While it looks like a room that took years for someone to collect items they love individually (& I do love each item!) there are a few common elements that pull it together.  First of all the colors orange and gold compliment each other in many tones and ranges from bright orange & rust to shiny brass & antiqued gold.  Since I gave the core of the room a grounded warm gray, those colors have a nice canvas to stand out on.  Then there are the repetitive shapes: the linear chandelier and centerpiece, the starburst mirror and tubular objects and the triangular facets in the mirror, short glasses, candlesticks & silverware.  Relating elements in a room gives your eye a reason to search out and find details.  It’s a pleasing feeling to find that each piece is there for a reason, its how an “undecorated” room has purpose yet the style is still personal.

Enjoy my design and check in at the Dwell Studio Blog to see who inspires me and how the contest turns out. A big thank you to Dwell Studio for hosting this contest, it was a fun & easy challenge to take part in and the prize offerings are very generous!

2 Comments

Filed under Celebrations, Holiday, NBID

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

October 18, 2011 · 10:24 pm

The Wonderland Family – Halloween Costumes

Wonderland Family Costumes - Alice, White Rabbit, Red Queen & Mad Hatter

Halloween is our favorite holiday.  Before we had children we had an annual Halloween Costume Party that our friends looked forward to all year.  Our couples costumes were always a big hit.  Some of the costumes we dressed as were: Adam & Eve, Aphrodite & Cupid, Devil & Angel and Cheerleaders from Saturday Night Live.  The year we were the SNL Cheerleaders we did a skit and it is still talked about to this day when we get together with friends.  Macy’s first Halloween we dressed up with her.  I made Tinker Bell costumes for her and myself and Jake was Captain Hook.  Last year when Hudson was born we felt we now had the opportunity to dress as a whole group.  Jacob had been dying to be the Mad Hatter from Alice and Wonderland for years before the new Johnny Depp version. Tim Burton’s creepy take on the Wonderland characters made them even more inspiring as Halloween costumes.  And so our Wonderland Family was created!

Red Queen and White Rabbit Costumes

I choose to be the Red Queen from the new movie but Hudson looked cuter as the White Rabbit from the original Disney cartoon version.  Did it matter that we mixed the two together?  Of course not, we looked awesome together!  My bulbous head was the official wig from the new movie but my red dress was just a costume dress.  Hudson’s White Rabbit costume was made from white french terry pajamas, a red t-shirt, bunny headband & tail set and I made his collared felt heart….I dont know what that piece is called, a vest?

Alice in Wonderland, White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter

Macy insisted on being Alice (even though I have the blonde hair for it). Grabbing a pre-made costume was the easiest since I had a lot of work to do to pull 4 costumes together and there were very cute ones in the costume stores.  She had the idea to add a key on a ribbon for a necklace.  Jacob would not do this group dress up unless his costume looked liked he stepped out of the movie.  By combining the costume store hat and hair with thrift store clothing finds and a couple of home made items we were able to make his custom so authentic looking people went crazy for him when we went trick or treating!

Mad Hatter and Red Queen Halloween Costumes

Jake and I both hate to wear face make up for Halloween, its just so uncomfortable but being these characters would not be possible if we didnt.  I watched YouTube toutorials to learn how to apply the make up like a professional.

This is the link for the Mad Hatter make up:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGCqIx1DcaU

This is the link for Red Queen make up:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTl3ePEmhi4&feature=relmfu

Alice and Wonderland Family

We had so much fun gathering our costumes and going out trick or treating as the Alice and Wonderland family that we all decided that we wanted to dress the same this year.  This is a first, we never repeat costumes, but they were too good.   We have few changes, Hudson is going to be the Door Mouse and we are adding the White Queen to the group because my MIL is visiting.  So look for us in Brooklyn on Halloween and say Hi!  And check back after Halloween for an update from this years costumes.

12 Comments

Filed under Holiday

Tagged as , , , , , ,

October 1, 2011 · 8:00 am

Halloween Madhatter Cake

Halloween Madhatter Birthday Cake

It’s offically Halloween season!   We are currently soaking up the rays in Seaside Florida but our thoughts are all about our decorations, costumes and treats.  Here I am sharing a Halloween Madhatter birthday cake I made a few years ago.  Madhatters or Topsy Turvy cakes are tough.  There are a few different techniques to make them.  Well, I’ve done them all and cant suggest one over the other.  All I’m going to say is this: google some cakes tutorials, try a practice cake first and just know that cakes are evil, gravity is against you and it might be a short-lived glory…..do the assembly just before the party!    I’ve also included the sketch I made to design the cake.  I usually do a sketch for client approval, nothing fancy but just like any other design I have to work it out on paper. 

Halloween Madhatter Cake Sketch

2 Comments

Filed under Holiday, SugarCoated

Tagged as , , , ,

September 22, 2011 · 11:40 pm

Vintage Handkerchief Inspired Nursery

Turquoise, lavender and peach were the request of my latest client for her nursery.  Vintage childrens’ handkerchiefs and animal planters immediately came to my mind when I envisioned that color combination.  Luckily a vintage style was also what suited my client who loves quilts and sweet girly decor.

Vintage Handkerchief Inspired Nursery Rendering by Nikki Berry

This being an eDesign service my design suggestions had to be currently available and accessible to order online.  To achieve a vintage feel from modern products I focused on the color scheme and mixed and match bedding.  Like a quilt, if the colors work together the patterns don’t matter as much.  The client prefered to have the wall paint a light turquoise and with that as a starting point I added purple and turquoise softgoods to balance out the color weights. Peach is not a color that is not currently trending in the product market, so it is to be added in the accessories and vintage finds that the client is currently searching for herself.  I did suggest to paint the ceiling a slight peach color that compliments the warm wood flooring and gives the color a purposeful presence as other peach items are curated in the room.

Vintage Handkerchief Inspired Nursery Design Board

Vintage Hankie Inspired Design Board

Drapery- Land of Nod: purple damask /Anthtropologie: white floral

Vintage Hankies – Fine Collection Store Ebay

Paint –

Fabrics – Etsty Shops: Grimmlynns & Cottonthreadfabrics.  Fabric.com: Jennifer Paganelli & Michael Miller

Quilt – Custom made by CarleneWestberg, Quiltville Etsy Shop

Lamp – Pottery Barn Kids

Knobs – Pottery Barn Kids

Rug – Land of Nod

Bird Art – Rosenberry Rooms

Pillow -Anthropologie

Bumper – Land of Nod

Crib Sheet – New Arrivals, Inc: Pinwheel Punch baby bedding

Mobile – Custom made by Nature Child Etsy Shop

Fairy Art -Rosenberry Rooms

While my client awaits her new arrival she plans to scour flea markets and antique stores for a few childrens’ handkerchiefs and animal planters in just the right colors.  In case she isnt feeling up to it, the lovely people on Etsy have got vintage finds covered.  Here are 12 vintage items that would fit right in as accessories and craft project materials for this nursery.

Vintage childrens' hankie and planters for a nursery

Vintage Childrens’ Hankies and Nursery Planters

1.Wefleaqueens Etsy Shop 2. Flintcreekvintage Etsy Shop 3. Dustylorraine Etsy Shop 4. Bbbdesigns Etsy Shop

5. Robysnesty Etsy Shop 6. Sosovintage Etsy Shop 7. Twolittleowls Etsy Shop 8. Wildwoodsummer Ebay

9. Murdups Etsy Shop 10. Bewitchingvintage Etsy Shop 11. Flintcreekvintage Etsy Shop 12. Gypsyrosalie.com

Comments Off on Vintage Handkerchief Inspired Nursery

Filed under Baby + Child, NBID

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

September 12, 2011 · 11:35 pm

In Remembrance: September 11, 2001

9/11 Memorial Lights

Although we are blessed to have no particular person to morn on this day we are touched by the memorial that happens every year.  Our 1st NYC apartment at 71 Broadway had a living room view into Ground Zero.  For 3 years we listened to the bells, saw the lights and took in the somber feelings that are all around Lower Manhattan on this day. Im proud that 10 years later Americans still show so much respect for 9/11.  Its not a “holiday” with BBQs and fireworks, its a memorial day of a different type that our country should never change.  A day of remembrance and reflection of what America lost.  In 10 more years there will be children that are adults that were not around when those planes changed our lives.  How will the next generation learn to respect this day?  We have to teach our children, we have to go to these memorials each year to see our service men in uniform, hear their stories and see the pictures of the people who perished.  Every year I see new pictures of 9/11 published and it is what reminds me of how horrible it was, like a yearbook or family photo album, I am taken back, I remember.   We went to Lower Manhattan for a few hours yesterday evening, the memorial lights are especially nostalgic to us as they are situated behind our old building and every year made our apt glow from the close proximity. All of BPC and FiDi was filled with people, but like the weather the mood was somber and unnaturally quiet. The actual memorial was only open to families but we plan to attend the next chance we get.  I am sharing some of lasts nights pictures and a few that we took while living in 71 Broadway with the memorial lights shining just behind our building on top of the Battery Tunnel parking garage.  I was very pleased that my new camera picked up the lights and glows that are so beautiful in NYC.

Macy in front on One World Trade Center - Freedom Tower 9/11/2011

One Life - One Flag, nearly 3,000 flags in Battery Park

Flag of Honor, each listing the names of those who perished on 9/11

Flags of Honor - Battery Park 2011

Statue from WTC that was not crushed in the fall. Now lives in Battery Park. 9/11 Memorial lights & Flags of Honor

9/11 Memorial lights and the Freedom Tower 2011

Trinity Church, 71 Broadway & 9/11 Memorial Lights 2011

9/11 Memorial lights from roof top of 71 Broadway 2008

9/11 Memorial Lights 2008

Comments Off on In Remembrance: September 11, 2001

Filed under Holiday

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

September 7, 2011 · 8:51 pm

Manhattan Cowgirl Birthday Party

Macy's 6th Birthday Cake

Fall is on its way and it has me thinking about cooler weather and fall parties.  Hot cider & cinnamon doughnuts, hay rides & barn parties.  A Cowgirl theme seems like a perfect fall birthday party theme to me.  Macy’s 6th birthday was Cowgirl themed…..but in NYC….in August…. and those city kids loved it! This is the first birthday party she had in NYC.  We had flown back home to Tennessee the previous 2 years.  If we had went to Tennessee for this party, it surely would have been in a barn, as we have plenty of family and friends with barns!  But Macy’s party was a “Manhattan Cowgirl” party, on a beautiful roof top garden of our apartment building in Lower Manhattan. This was the last party that she invited both boys and girls from her class.  Besides the heavy dose of pink the party it was gender friendly in games and activities and of course I didnt send the boys home with the pink boot favor bag…I got red ones for them and I used red and blue in some of the decorations too.

Macy's Cowgirl Birthday Cake

Cowgirl Cake

The centerpiece of the party was her Cowgirl cake made with layers of cow print, handkerchief paisley and rope detail.  The topper was a fondant Cowgirl hat.  For this cake I did a buttercream and fondant combination on the icing and decorations

Cowgirl Hat Invitation

For the invitation I choose a water colored hat by Julia D. Azar Designs.  I promise I really do make her invitations myself almost every year, but this was the year after the very labored Under the Sea shaker invitations and I needed a year off!

Lower Manhattan Roof Top Party

Macy's 6th Birthday On Our Lower Manhattan Roof Top

Who needs a barn with hay bales when you have this view for a party?  We were proud to host many parties on the roof top and club room of our building at 71 Broadway.  The view is amazing!  In the top picture the water beyond is the Hudson River and the New York Harbor.  In the bottom picture is the space that Trinity Church sits in and just to the right of the large black building you can see the Empire State building. Not visible from this picture, but we have many others, is a view right into Ground Zero.

Cowgirl (and Boy) Games

To keep the kids busy we played a few games.  “Lassoing the Horse” was tossing a hula hoop over a stuffed horse.  There was a “Stick Horse Race” in which they had to gallop (skip) to win. And a pull string pinata, I only do the pull string kind for safety (I was the kid that got hit in the face with the pinata stick growing up).  We’ve had some funny pinata stores over the years, this year the kid that grab hold of the magic string pulled so hard the pinata horses body came detached from its head.  Jake and I thought it was halirous….a few other parents watching…not so funny.

Cowgirl and Cowboy Dress up pictures

During the party I photographed many of the guests in Cowgirl or Cowboy costumes that we provided.  Some of the girls even showed up in their own cowboy boots, that made it even better.  My sister changed the color of the picture to sepia and added their names in a cowboyish style font in Picnik. Macy sent the prints as keepsakes in their thank you notes.

Macy's 6th Birthday Cowgirl Party Wear

 Planing for Macy’s party outfit is always apart of the party process.  This year she was ecstatic that we ordered her a real hat and boots from Texas!  Pairing them with a tutu and embellished tank made them more her style and her Cowgirl Party outfit was so cute that we had her picture made in it.
YA’LL COME BACK, YA HEAR!

9 Comments

Filed under Baby + Child, Celebrations, SugarCoated

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 5, 2011 · 11:39 pm

Nikkiikkin Design Studio On Etsy

Ive been a Etsy shopper for years, but now Im a seller too!  Its long over due and was nearly as time consuming to set up as a blog, phew!  I plan on selling party supplies like printables and decorations to start.  I will soon be venturing into making Fondant Cake Kits for the shop too.  Im super excited about these, check back later to hear what they are all about!

Woodland Dessert Table Kit for sale on Etsy

Currently at the Grand Opening, I have listed my Woodland Dessert Table Kit.  This kit includes many handmade items as well as supplies to set up an amazing tablescape like Macy’s Woodland Fairie Party Table.  As a bonus a scavenger hunt game is included with the kit.  Check out the listing here: update this item was sold, but please contact me if you interested in me creating a tablescape for you!

Macy and her Woodland Fairy Dessert Table

Comments Off on Nikkiikkin Design Studio On Etsy

Filed under Design Studio, Paper + Fabric

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 15, 2011 · 3:52 pm

NYC Apartment Tour part 1

My posts have been a little SugarCoated heavy lately.  I cant let you all forget that Im an interior designer too!  While I dont plan on posting work from my professional portfolio on my blog , I do have my personal and freelance design projects that I am happy share.

Tonight I am attending a product launch party for Dwell Studio at the NYDC.  Being an interior designer in NYC has amazing benefits such as the social events the vendors sponsor.  Its market time here and many designers have to spend major bucks to be in town this week but its only a $5 train ride for me!  Dwell Studio has been part my personal design for many years, each year I watch as the company grows and reinvents themselves; always being a front-runner and trend setter instead of a follower.

Im so excited to attend the launch party and possible meet the founder Christiane Lemieux tonight that I thought it would be a good time to show some pictures of my own home.  You can see that I am often inspired by Dwell Studios modern and eclectic style. In this post you will see my Manhattan apartment in which we had a true “living room”, it is set up as a studio while our daughter enjoyed the one bedroom.  We lived in two different apartments at 71 Broadway and the location and building will always have a special place in our hearts.  It was when NYC was truly new and exciting for us.  We were semi-permenant tourists and we enjoyed both worlds as residents at play.  In my future NYC Apartment Tour posts I will show more of the amazing building we lived in, built in 1899 siting next to Trinity Church at Wall street.

71 Broadway Ny,Ny

Studio Living in the Finacial District

NYC Apartment with views of Trinity Church

Divided Eating Area in Studio Living

Trinity Church Dusted in Snow

Comments Off on NYC Apartment Tour part 1

Filed under NBID

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

August 13, 2011 · 1:24 am

Woodland Fairy Birthday Party

Macy’s Woodland Fairie Party

I am so pleased to share this birthday party with everyone!    Macy’s 9th birthday was a Woodland Fairie theme.  I think that you will find it an inspiration for a Woodland Party theme for a boy or girl.   In the previous 8 years of Macy’s birthday parties I had not done a fairy theme and I wanted to get one last little girl party in before they all became Hollywood Glamour and Spa Day parties. My vision was inspired by our favorite cafe and I felt that this type of fairy theme was more appropriate for a 9 year old girl than the tutu and wings type. As always my children’s parties are a big production in our home, we begin planing sometimes months in advance and I design and make nearly everything myself.   I hope you find an inspiring idea for your next party in this post.

Woodland Fairy Invitation

After the party theme was  approved by the birthday girl, I started with searching for the invitation that would set the style.  I usually make them myself but when I discovered the perfect invitation by B. Nute productions, I was very glad to let someone else take care of it for me.  I was interested in a invitation that was a more graphically lavish than what I can create and her whimsical and vintage style was exactly what I had in mind to set the tone for the party design, you can see her site and with many other beautiful designs here.

Macy’s Woodland Cake

This Woodland Cake is an original that I designed and created.  The bottom layer is a dummy cake covered in fondant, carved and hand painted to look faux bois.  It turned out fantastic!  Painting fondant is super easy, just the color gels and lemon extract is needed.  I enjoyed rendering in watercolor in design school and found painting the fondant to be a lot like that.  In fact I enjoyed painting this dummy cake so much that I think I’m going to do a little bit of real watercolor soon!  The top cake is chocolate (macy said to represent earth!) and has a white chocolate ganache layer before I added fondant.  I started doing ganache under my fondant cakes last year and I love everyone of them!  It gives the cake a more solid surface to except the fondant and Ive found it easy to build up any uneven sides or corners in the ganche.  I achieve an almost flawless fondant covering every time!  The number 9, toadstools and grass are fondant, the flowers are purchased from my favorite cake supplies store NY Cake on 22nd street in the flat iron district and the butterflies are hand piped chocolate from this tutorial from http://www.chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com.

Woodland Fairie Dessert Table Details

The details really do make up this dessert table, I put a lot of thought into the display and vessel type to make sure the theme was strongly represented.  Fairy Dust in glass tubes hung from the branches and were part of the favors going home with the guests, printable straw flags cut to length made a perfect label.  I found this birch covered bowl at a shop in the NYC flower district and placed florist foam in it to display the Sparkly Fairy Wand cake pops.  The soda of choice for Woodland Fairies must be “root” beer!  Mine were served with a paper straw that I know you have never seen displayed like this before! The idea came to me to place the straws in tags by B.Nute productions simply out of need, as I had not found the perfect vessel to hold them all in a group!   Wood slices are a must have on any rustic or woodland table display.  Adding decorative stones and moss, it becomes a very complete Fairy Cake display

There were a few other support areas around our home that received some party decorating as well. Favor bags of simple paper sacks and printed labels sat at the door to pass out as guests left.  I choose to not clutter the dessert table with the extra Fairy Cakes and paper goods, but still thoughtfully displayed them on our kitchen island.  Guest were greeted with a small display of nature from a cake dome full of pine cones and other dried naturals, a birds nest and flowers.

Le Petit Cake Brooklyn, NY

For brunch we walked two blocks away to the cafe that inspired the Woodland theme.  This cafe design is so amazing, I cant believe that it is only two blocks from our home, it looks like it was imported from Disney World.  I padded the party time an extra hour to work in the walk and wait for our table.

Woodland Party Decorations

To make ordering easier on us and our server I gave the girls the choose of 5 basic brunch items and wrote them on little menu cards before we headed to the cafe.  The girls just showed the card to the server to place their order, genius right?   The menu card and welcome sign I designed were compliments to B. Nute productions Woodland Fairie tags.  I found the stick boarder on a web site offering public domain images from old books called http://www.fromoldbooks.org.  The Twig pencils were part of the favors the girls took home.

Macy and I brainstormed the idea of a Treasure Hunt for lost things.  Inspired by stories of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, we came up with the idea of trinkets and magical fairy items to search for.  My favorite item was the Rattle which represents “a baby’s first laugh”.  From the story of Peter Pan, this is when a fairy is born!  Gathering the items for the treasure hunt was a treasure hunt for me!  It was a lot of fun to do and most of the items were found in craft stores.  I used a border image from http://www.fromoldbooks.org again to design the sign and treasure hunt card that complimented our other party decorations.  The images on the treasure hunt card came from http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com, I love her images!

Fairy Houses Craft

The girls did a craft decorating fairie houses.  Macy has made real fairie houses in the woods at camp with Girl Scouts.  Those houses were made out of all natural materials like twigs and leaves.  We pre-painted small birdhouses dark brown to give a natural material feel but I felt that the girls would have more fun if the decorations were sparkly.

Woodland Fairy Dessert Table

Now that Macy is 9, she helps out a lot with the preparation of her parties (she made all the toadstools on the cake!).  She is a crafter like me and during one of our working days she sat beside me while I made the fabric bunting, turning my sewing scraps into fairy clothes,  They were quite impressive!  She also loves to share her opinion and ideas, for this party table she came up with the idea to place small sparkly pompoms hiding in the branches to represent our Woodland Fairies.  Our fairies were shy but you can see one of them above tucked in the berries.

What gave this dessert table its woodland presence was the sticks and wreath on the wall.  The Queen Fairy looks over the party with such grace!  I also found her from Graphics Fairy and spray mounted her to the same kraft paper as the table runner.  Tying it to a grapevine wreath made it look like a Woodland Portrait. Wondering how I got those sticks (that my wonderful husband gathered in Prospect Park for me) to hang on the wall?  I have some great pictures of how I made that and the wreath hang  that I will share in a Behind the Scenes of the Party post. I also made the felt toadstools for the dessert table and now sell them by the set on my Etsy Shop.

I hope you have enjoyed my daughters party pictures!  I have designed her parties for 9 years and my son’s for 1 year, as well as a few years of my nieces parties.  I am slowly getting all of my previous parties into blog posts, so be sure to check back often to see whats new!

 

UPDATE:  Due to much demand  I have decided to give away my treasure hunt printable for free!   You may download the file HERE

21 Comments

Filed under Baby + Child, Celebrations, SugarCoated

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 3, 2011 · 2:14 pm

Hudson’s Oliver the Owl Nursery

Oliver the Owl Nursery

Being an interior designer I had high expectations for myself to create a nursery for my son that was beautiful; being a craftswoman I had high expectations for myself to create a nursery for my son that was custom-made.  For Hudson’s nursery I delivered both. I named this nursery design and the owl on the quilt Oliver the Owl after Hudson’s middle name. Although I was inspired by the Dwell Owl bedding that was brand new at the time, I decided to design and make all of his softgoods myself.  The bumper, quilt, sheets, canvases, drapery & rug were created by my hands.  The framed art, mobile and dresser were also customized to better fit into my design.

This nursery started with the gray Sparrow crib from Oeuf that I had choose whether I was having a Hudson or a Olivia.  Second came the fabric, a F.Schumacher called Zeynatta Mondatta.  Actually the fabric came years before, as it was a sample I held on to from my D&D Building fabric trips. I just had to have it but didn’t know what I would ever do with it, it was fate! I ran across it one day going through tear sheets and files and I instantly knew I’d found the inspiration for his room.   In designing his bedding I had an allowance on how much of the zig zag fabric I was going to invest in, it was a very expensive fabric and luckily a fellow interior designer was able to get her hands on a yard sample for me (perks of the trade) and that helped out a bunch with the cost.  In sourcing the other fabric locally in North Carolina I was tipped on a gem of a fabric store in the middle of nowhere.  Mary Jo’s in Gastonia, NC, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I went there and it takes a lot to impress me.   After the foundation theme and colors were decided, I started with product research and created an inspiration board and a board for his bedding design.  I was proud to show them off at our baby shower, it was the only way for people to know what we were up to.

 

My Initial Frame

Here’s how his nursery came together:

  • To make the bumper I went to several baby boutiques to inspect the custom designs that were displayed.  I took a hundred measurements of my crib and every bumper I ran across and I spoke with other designers about how they specify construction to workrooms.
  • The quilt is composed of minky on one side and heavier weight fabrics on the other, its meant to be more of a top piece, decorative quilt.
  • The owl applique is hand embroidered.
  • The crib sheet (and later a pillowcase) was made from a twin sheet in just the right aqua color from Bed Bath and Beyond.
  • The tab top drapery was modeled after another window panel my daughter has (super easy project).
  • The rug is faux fur that I stitched heavy weight canvas to the back so that it would lay flat!
  • We paid homage to Hudson’s namesake with artwork of a subway map of NYC, it was from a calendar that we already had and it was just the right colors.
  • The RAR rocker was on my list of must have chairs (being obsessed with designer chairs), but I was on the fence whether to go with a color or white.  White won for future versatility as it often does, but I also really love white furniture.
  • His mobile was from CB2 but I had to paint a few of the pieces blue.
  • The Koppang dresser is an Ikea Hack, customed painted in a Ben Moore oil paint that was an exact match to the Ouef crib.
  • Its fun to stumble upon something that you know is just perfect: the Foo Dog bookends are from target, the FADO ball lamp from Ikea, the Where the Wild Things Are pillow is from Urban Outfitters and my husband insisted on having an Ugly doll.
  • The paint is  Laura Ashley-Apple 6 from Lowes
  • The initial frame is another project of mine that I will talk about soon
  • Newspaper tree canvases  – modge podge, paint and newspaper, check out how I made these here

Lastly to be decided were in his room were the  canvases.  As you can imagine I had a lot on my plate making the bedding and in the back of my mind I had an idea for newspaper trees but I just couldn’t get to it before he was born.  The canvases and (as well as few other items) were completed a few weeks after we brought Hudson home but he’ll never know we didn’t have everything ready for him!

Hudson's First Shoes

35 weeks along with Hudson, Captured By Jes

Just a few weeks before Hudson was born my sister photographed me and  incorporated his special fabric.  Now a year and a half later she photographs a lot of people.  You can check out her site  www.capturedbyjes.blogspot.com

7 Comments

Filed under Baby + Child, NBID

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 1, 2011 · 8:00 am

Perfectly Pink Barbie Cake

Perfectly Pink Party Barbie Cake

Macy had a Perfectly Pink Pool Party for her 7th birthday party.  This was her second birthday cake for her 7th birthday, the first was for her actual birthday and was a Rose Petal Barbie cake, see it here.  To make this cake I had to basically design a dress first!  She wasnt elaborate but with the texture changes and flowers it turned out to be a very pretty cake.  Her oversized flower corsage on the bodice was very modern, I’d wear a dress that had a corsage like this!  This being my 2nd Barbie cake made with the Wilton Doll mold, I became more comfortable with dressing the doll pick bodice.  I used the Wilton doll pick with a real Barbie head and tucked the fondant all the way under the waist to elminate the need to conceal the meeting point of waist and cake.  The ruffled trim around her waist is a full circle at the top of the dress mold and the doll pick is placed on top.  I love when I can achieve a tailored finish like this!  Macy requested the birthday package to be in her hands with a candle but I didnt atempt that, I’m sure it can be done but the Wilton doll pick has very flimsy arms and it cant just balance.  So a larger package with all 7 candles sitting on the ground worked out great.  What didnt turn out great was my idea to make a ruffled underskirt at the bottom out of regular icing.  It was too soft to work with in the transportation of the cake since she sat on a cake board just the size of the ball gown.  A larger cake board or a stiffer medium will be my suggestion to anyone that would like to do this cake.

Perfectly Pink Party Barbie Cake

Macy's Perfectly Pink Party Barbie Cake

2 Comments

Filed under Baby + Child, SugarCoated

July 28, 2011 · 1:01 pm

Rose Petal Barbie Cake

Rose Petal Barbie Cake

I created this Rose Petal Barbie Cake for Macy’s 7th birthday.  She was my first Barbie cake using the Wilton Doll Cake mold.  This design is simple but creating all the petals are tedious. To make them I made three colors and three sizes.  They are formed by starting with a circle and then curling it and thinning out the edges to give it a natural shape.  My sister actually helped me crank them out and she added the leaf around the waist idea to conceal the area where doll waist meets cake.  Her dress is completed with a flower necklace.  I dont like to write on most of my cakes and it has become my signature to make a plaque to write a simple name.  For this Barbie I used the Wilton doll pick but changed the head with one of Macy’s real Barbie’s.  We snuck her to dinner that night and she was brought out by the wait staff singing Happy Birthday, Macy was so proud for everyone in the restaurant to see her fabulous Barbie cake!

Rose Petal Barbie Cake's Flower Necklace

Macy's Rose Petal Barbie Cake

I have a few other Barbie cakes that you’d love to see too!

Hawaiian Barbie and The Luau Pool Party

Mermaid Barbie and Mermaid Kelly in the Under the Sea Parties

Perfectly Pink Barbie and the Perfectly Pink Pool Party (coming soon)

1 Comment

Filed under Baby + Child, SugarCoated

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

July 26, 2011 · 3:32 pm

The 9 Year Evolution of Macy’s Bedroom

My baby girl turns 9 in just a few days.  I always like to look back at old photos around this time of year and now that she’s older we look together.  It’s amazing that places and things I thought she’d never forget, she has forgotten.  I decided write a post showing the transformation of her room from Nursery to Tween; it would be fun to do and great for her to look at too.  I came across some decent vintage photos last week, although I never had publishing them on a blog in mind when I took them, I think they are good enough to share.  What is most important from this post is that you will see how I took Macy’s nursery design to a toddler design; to a whirl wind of changes during our moving adventures; to what she is now an: 9-year-old on the brink of a being a teenager or whats now called a tween.  Her colorway has not changed in these 9 years but amazingly enough I have made it work and grow with her.  We’ve had some major transitions in our lives but I’ve always made sure that no matter the space, size or shape she has had a familiar room that she was proud of.   Now that she has become older with less toys and her own taste we have promised her a design change this winter. She wants blue and I dont blame her!  She’s been surrounded by pink for 9 years & I want a change too!

Macy's Nursery 2002

Summer Fruit Bedding From Pottery Barn Kids

Macy’s Nursery

There was no theme for Macy’s nursery.  I simple picked what I liked based on colors.  Her bedding was Summer Fruit by Pottery Barn Kids and although it set the colorway for her room I didnt add fruit anywhere else.  I had a logical reason for choosing a butter yellow color for her walls, I knew the rest of the room would have entirely enough pink in it.  From toys and clothes to accessories and art, I didnt need to be surrounded by it on the wall too!  But I couldnt resist, the top 20 inches of her wall was a cotton candy pink!   It said “baby girl” without screaming it.

Macy's Toddler Room 2006

Kasey Quilt and Madeline Bed from Pottery Barn Kids

My DIY Version of a Land of Nod storage unit

Macy’s Toddler Room

Out with the baby gear, in with toys!  While Macy was still in her toddler bed I created a toy storage unit to vertically house her bulging toy boxes.  This is a copy from a storage unit in Land of Nod but mine was custom designed to match her room by me!  It was available for years but is gone now so if you like it you’ll have to make it and dont worry,  its sew easy!  I bought the wire shelving from Bed Bath and Beyond, its not cheap but its sturdy and can be used anywhere later on if you decided to do away with the cover.  I made the cover out of 2 pairs of cotton duck cloth drapery.  I actually only used 3 of the panels and opted to not cut the 4th because I only needed a small section for the top of the unit. (I saved the 4th panel and used it a few different ways in her room you will see) I added a coordinating stripe fabric on the top, scallop and inside front, but that was all extra and not necessary.  I came up with the idea to use drapery because it has a good hanging weight and its already hemmed on the sides and bottom.  It also proved to be cheaper than buying fabric by the yard.

When Macy was 3 1/2 she got a big girl bed.  The Madeline canopy bed from Potter Barn Kids.  To avoid changing the wall colors and the rest of the rooms accents, I went with a quilt and sheeting that had the same yellow, light pink and dark pink combinations.  I guess I made a good choose because her Kasey quilt and Madeline bed are still a staple of PBKs collection.  The transformation of her room literally happened in a few hours.  The white glove delivery put together the bed and we rearranged the room.  I made a few additions like the dress up wall but that was basically it, everything else already matched!  Her dresser became the nightstand, the rug was a neutral, the shades with ric rack that I sewed on still matched and the yellow fabric and striped fabric on the toy unit were a perfect match to the quilt!  Here I used the extra drapery panel on the canopy at the headboard to block an unsightly electric panel.

Macy's Mini Bedroom

Macy's Full size Manhattan bedroom

Macy takes Manhattan

Not long after Macy got her big girl room we had to pack it up and put it in storage :(  We moved to NYC and lived in corporate housing that was fantastic but not meant for a child.  Macy was small enough that she could fit back into a toddler bed temporarily and we were able to give her a slice of her bedroom design in the corner of our one bedroom luxury apartment in Lower Manhattan.  Look at how cute she was!  She only had to endure this “mini bedroom” for 5 months until we made NYC our permanent home and transferred our own furniture there.  I feel that decorating in a small space is more about editing than adding and although I didnt attempt to do any painting to the 13 foot walls, her beautiful furnishings made her room her own.

Macy 2nd Manhattan bedroom with the view of Trinity Church

Trinity Church bedroom view at Christmas

Macy's 2nd Manhattan bedroom gallery wall

Macy's Manhattan Playloft

The Pottery Barn Kids Kitchen in the Playloft

Macy’s 2nd Manhattan Bedroom

While on our first tour of NYC we moved into a second apartment within the same building and Macy got an even better bedroom.  This was her view! A 13 foot window and balcony view of Trinity Church.  It was breath-taking during all the seasons, especially winter when it looked like a gingerbread castle dusted in powdered sugar.  Her room was similar to the first apartment just bigger.  Big enough that we put the christmas tree in there instead of in the living room.  This time I did do some decorating on the walls, still not painting but a gallery wall that also had an Ikea shelf as a writing ledge.  But most fantastic about this apartment is that Macy got a playloft!  Lucky Duck!!  It was her little hide away or tree house we called it sometimes.  She had so much fun up there!

Macy's Tween Room 2010

Macy's Tween Room Storage Unit and Cafe Table

NC children's bedroom gallery wall

Chinese lanterns over the canopy

Macy’s Tween Room 

For our 14 months in North Carolina, Macy’s room was updated from a toddler style but had the same foundation in colors.  She had new polka dot sheets instead of fish but we kept the Kasey quilt and pink gingham duvet.  We gave her a bolder pink wall and a fabulous chinese lantern installation over her canopy!  The largest lantern was illuminated with a switch that she could operate while in bed.   We gave her PBK kitchen to my niece Emma, but Macy kept the food and dishes, I couldnt get her to give those up as she still likes to play pretend sometimes!  The toy unit was still in use but its near the end of its life and the girly cafe set from Target that she got for her 2nd christmas is soon to be replaced this christmas with a modern boy version for Hudson. And I finally used that 4th drapery panel on a window!

Now that we are back in NYC, Macy and Hudson share a room but their bedroom styles remain separate.  She has her half of the room and he has his. We have painted his side but are refraining on hers since she will get an updated look very soon.  Check back this winter to see how it turns out!!

1 Comment

Filed under Baby + Child, City Mouse + Country Mouse, NBID

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 24, 2011 · 11:16 pm

The Initial Frame

 My sister has reprimanded me, she says that I have to do my postings more tutorial like.  Well I promise when I get to a new project that I will photograph it step by step.  But right now im still playing catch up with about 9 years worth of fabulous projects that Ive done!  I have always photographed the final results but never the process, this one is easy enough that I can recreate the process in a tutorial way without the step by step pictures. S0 Jes, this ones for YOU!

Macy and Hudson's Initial Frames

Initial frames! This is a very old project of mine, but it still proudly hangs in my childrens’ room and in the rooms of the loved ones Ive created one for.   It is a very simple and inexpensive project, I once made about 10 at one time as Christmas gifts for all the children in our family and in Macy’s playgroup.

Initial Frames for Macy's Playgroup

Supplies for this project:

  • a wooden 8×10 frame – cheap,  from anywhere like a craft store or ikea
  • acrylic paints – super cheap again, a $1 bottle is enough
  • a wooden letter – there’s a trend here… cheap from a craft store
  • fabric scrap at least 10×12 – free! if you are a crafter that has it lying around
  • a 1/2 yard of ribbon or twine – again you know you have some somewhere
  • a slightly smaller than 8×10 cut of mat board – in the framers aisle at craft store
  • hot glue gun – the classic
  • staple gun – you can do it without this, but if you dont want the letter to fall off and hit the baby in the head then  barrow one.

First step is to remove the glass from the frame but save the backboard as you still want that so that it looks nice and finished when its done.

Next paint the letter and wooden frame.  Just like any project with wood you might decide that it needs a little sanding prep before the paint.  Use your discretion.  Acrylic paint dries in a matte or chalky finish.  If you dont like that you can use a spray gloss sealant to give it a sheen.  But be cautious:  some of the glosses will turn the paint a yellowish color.  I had a pink letter turn an unusable color.  So I play it safe and just leave it like it is.  Or you can buy higher quality paint that has a gloss finish already.

Hudson's Initial Frame

While your paint is drying you can begin the fabric covered mat board.  Make sure the board is slightly less that 8×10 because the fabric will need space to live tucked in the frame too.  Wrap the fabric onto the mat board and hot glue the long and short sides.  Leave the corners for last and either fold down one side then the other or make a pinched triangle like miter cut and glue down with lots of hot glue.  The fabric covered board should fit snuggly into the frame the same way the glass did before you removed it.

Cowboy Initial Frame

Next position the letter in the center of the board with hot glue.  ***And here’s where Im making the safety disclosure** Hot glue is temperamental.  Its not really a glue right, its plastic and when its cold it lets go of what it should be holding onto.  In my practice with these initial frames I found a super easy way to make sure the letter doesnt pop off no matter what type of fabric you have tried to adhere it to.  After you have the letter glued into place, turn the board over and fire a few staple gun staples through the back of the mat board, into the back of the wooden letter!  Yes, its that easy.  Now the letter isnt going anywhere.  Put the board back in the frame, put the backboard of the frame back on and fasten it closed.

Macy's Initial Frame

You may have a frame that came with an easel back or no easel and a saw tooth hanger.  You can still hang this initial frame on the wall regardless of its backboard type.  Staple your ribbon or twine to the back to use as a hanger.  If you borrowed a staple gun, you might realize by now that its a really good tool to have and they are not expensive so grab one on your next trip to Lowe’s. Just remember to keep in out of reach and locked away from little hands, I even keep ours unloaded.

3 Comments

Filed under Baby + Child, Paper + Fabric

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 10, 2011 · 2:30 pm

Under the Sea Birthday Party Invites + Mermaid Barbie Cakes

For my daughters 5th birthday the theme was Under the Sea.  I am only sharing the invitation and cakes from the party, but this was a fantastic pool party and a success with my daughter who is my biggest fan and littlest critic!

Under the Sea Invite Shaker

This party’s invtation is a very unique “shaker” card that we really sent through the mail.  As you can see from the profile shot above it is a thick card that required extra postage but arrived to our guests fine.  I believe I did write “hand cancel” on the envelopes to help them receive some TLC at the post office but who knows if that really helped!  These cards where on the complex side to create but they were worth it and were an impressive surprise for our guests to receive.  Heres how they came together:

Supplies:

  • 1/4 thin foam core board
  • colored scrapbook paper
  • transparency film
  • confetti
  • glue stick
  • xacto and cutting mat

To assemble:

The informational side of the card was designed and printed as a 5×5 square.  5″ squares were also cut out of the foam core, transparency film and unprinted scrapbook paper.  A center circle (a square would work too) was cut from the foam core and scrabookpaper.  And then it was like a sandwich, stacked up with the info face down glued to the foamcore, confetti sprinkled inside, transparency film to seal it and the scrapbook paper to cover and complete it.  Being our theme was Under the Sea, this was meant to look like a fish bowl but it could be reinterpreted for any theme.

Under the Sea Mermaid Kelly Doll cake

Under the Sea Cupcakes

I have mentioned before that my spoiled little mice get more than one cake for their birthdays because there are usually separate days of celebrating.  Macy had two parties her 5th year with this theme, one at school and one with family and friends. On her actual birthday she enjoyed Under the Sea character cupcakes at school and a Mermaid Kelly Doll cake at home with us.  This was my first Barbie type cake.  Little Kelly was easy to turn into a mermaid by simply covering her legs with individual scales made out of fondant, all her Sea friends were fondant also.  These characters were on the simple side of creation, by todays standards it takes much more complex cupcake toppers to impress.  (You can see some of my current cupcake work in my Yo Gabba Gabba cupcake masterpieces here)

Under the Sea Mermaid Barbie cake

There is an interesting story behind the real Under the Sea party that year.  It was one of a few times that we decided to return back home to Tennessee to celebrate with family and friends.  Flight delays and ultimately a flight cancellation nearly kept us from getting to TN.  When we did get there it was just a few hours before the party and without our luggage full of party supplies.  To save this party I picked up two pre-made cakes from a big box store, I think they were the Carebear cloud designs but they worked as ocean too.  I grabbed a new Barbie and some fondant and within an hour the cake was complete!   I hope that my emergency cake experience for this party can one day help someone else out if they are in a pinch to produce a custom cake.  Dont panic, just add to a ready made and no one will be able to  tell that it is a impromptu design!

8 Comments

Filed under Baby + Child, Celebrations, Paper + Fabric, SugarCoated

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,