The Violet Hours

Time for Snow Ice Cream

Did you know you can make ice cream out of snow? Wait til a fresh snow fall (which should be any minute if this winter continues as it has) and whip this up with your kiddies.

Visit this cute blog, Meet the Dubiens, for the recipe!

 

Time for Christmas Crafts

Yes, I know it's late to be posting Christmas crafts (if yours aren't up yet, then really, just don't bother). But late is the story of my life these days with an infant. 

Here are some crafts from my Christmas caroling story for the December issue of Parents Magazine.

The letters for this garland were cut from colored index cards.

Little felt florettes decorate moss wreathes. Full instructions here.

This is a great craft for even little kids. The trees are made from circle punches with clothespins as the trunks.

If you go out caroling, be sure to carry lights. These little lanterns are made from small water bottles. For reals.

Come in from the cold and stir up some hot chocolate with these handsome choco spoons.

 

Time for Unusual Tea Bags

After four straight days of rain, I thought my decaf iced coffee summer days were over! So hot tea was on the brain...

 

Donkey Products has an amazing selection of character tea bags. The top image is from their Zoo ParTea series, and the design-your-own group below is from CreativiTea. Don't they just make you smile?

Serve your guests tea in glass mugs to show off these gorgeous origami tea bags. Found via Design Swan. 

Of course, a tea bag on a hanger! Brilliant! Found via Yanko Design, via Pinterest. 

Ew, but funny...tea packaged in cigarette form. This will keep paws off your precious tea! Found via Toxel.com

These tea sticks are so cool!

Time for Food on a Stick

I worked on this adorable story for Parents Mag with my friend, Judy Goldberg (it was her genius idea!) and the uber-talented stylist Paul Lowe of Sweet Paul. It's super-fun, and really, what doesn't taste better when eaten off a stick? You can find more recipes for food on a stick at Parents.com.

Pie Pops: sugar cookie dough filled with jam. Yum!

 

Everyone loves a sticky popcorn ball!

Cake balls!

Tomato twigs: Get the kids to eat their veggies with mini-tomatoes perched atop bread sticks.

Salad sticks: use the cupcake liner to catch the dripping dressing.

Time for Cupcake Liner Crafts

Did anyone see this genius use of cupcake liners in the Good Things section (my fave) of the August issue of Martha? It then sent me on a quest to find other cupcake liner uses...

Better Homes & Gardens did a similar thing as above, just with a different purpose. Here the paper liner becomes the top of a gift wrap (although I'm not sure I'd drop jewelry in a clear cup to give as a gift...perhaps it's better as a party favor. Fill a cup with bright jellybeans and top with a colorful cupcake liner.).

I've seen a million garlands made from this material, but this one is different since it's interspersed with circles of vintage fabric. This garland was a lovely collaboration of Simple Suppers and 100 Layer Cake; Find a tutorial on 100 Layer Cake.

I love how light and airy this cupcake tree is, made from white cupcake liners. It could be more kid-like if done in color: the trunk could be brown, and the majority of the tree could be green with colored spots for ornaments. By Sweet Paul.

Zakka Life made this little party favor, using 2 adorable cupcake liners from Bake It Pretty.

 

I like this abstract and very inexpensive wall art. Found on Craft Gossip. 

And now to end with Martha, I love these festive flower balls to hang above a dinner or buffet table. 

Have you seen or made anything adorable with cupcake liners?

Time for a Simple Birthday Party

As I've mentioned, life has been hectic lately, and my husband's birthday fell right in the middle of that chaos. So I had to go low-maintenance on his birthday this year, but yet I didn't want to sacrifice any thrill factor. So I went with a store-bought food theme, all based on his favorite cities in which he's lived.

Representing Buenos Aires, we had empanadas from Ruben's Empanadas. They were the only restaurant that made their beef empanadas with raisins in them. This is very important in an Argentina empanada (at least a Northern Argentine one).

Michael and I both grew up in Atlanta, and we, along with every southerner, love Chick-fil-A. If you live in New York, you may be wondering how the hell I scored such loot. Well, I drove to Jersey. Yes, I drove to and from New Jersey in horrible traffic just to get these golden sandwiches (plus waffle fries and sweet tea) for my beloved. In retrospect, it was worth it. In the moment, I was hating myself. Especially when my phone died in the process.

I almost forgot New York (duh), so I made it the beverage with Hudson Whiskey. 

Ok, it looks totally unappetizing, but I swear it was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten! It's a King Cake from Gambino's Bakery in New Orleans, where M went to college. Inside every king cake is little plastic baby. It's customary for the person who gets the baby in his or her piece to buy the next celebration's king cake. 

All in all it was a festive night, and I didn't have to cook a thing. All I did was drive, arrange, ship, and make little city flags.

Time for Tied-Up Desserts

What is it about a frozen dessert that is wrapped up and tied with a skinny, delicate piece of baker's twine that forces me to stop and stare? Not sure if it makes me want to eat it or just look at it.

  From Sweet Paul. 

  From Stella Cake. 

From Twig & Thistle. 

 From Cannelle et Vanille.

Time for Unique Cake Toppers

As my husband and I were moving to our new apartment, we sort of admitted to each other that we were on the verge of being hoarders. (Have you seen that show? Heartbreaking.) We just have so much stuff; when we see interesting things at flea markets, thrift stores, and the like, it pains us to leave them behind. Just like these 2 sets of interesting cake toppers...

  

I found these amazing Celebration Toast Glasses at an antique market near Blairsville, Georgia. The box says "add charm and distinction to any occasion". Love it. And I found the tiny wire candle holders at Tinsel Trading. Okay, not a flea market, but they are a vintage trinket nonetheless. Here they are in action...

  

So many ideas for the toast glasses! Dessert wine, champagne, a little flower...I'm obsessed!

It's a perfect sized candle for a cupcake!

How about a little toothpick with fruit as a topper? Seriously, the crafty options are endless. Have you made a great topper? Tell me!

Time for a Cupcake Party

My friend Amanda asked me to help with her daughter Sophia's 8th birthday party, and I was thrilled to start the brainstorm with her. Sophia had already decided on a cupcake decorating theme, so I just had to help fill in with some details. Check out the cuteness that ensued...

We decorated Amanda's sun-filled apartment with these gorgeous sewn paper garlands from Mahar Dry Goods. I think I could live with these on my wall year-round.

 

Before the decorating began, each baker got a blank white apron with a set of fabric markers from Oriental Trading. (The birthday girl is on the right with one of her besties.)

  

The kids arrived at their work station to find a naked cupcake atop these cute stands from Hello Hanna (I'm a big fan of cupcake stands). They also got their own bowl, spoon, and spatula to mix up their icing.

 

In just minutes, the table was a beautiful mess of colored icing, sprinkles, and confectioners sugar!

    

    

A few finished cupcakes having their moment on their little pedestals.

  

The sugar has officially kicked in!

Everyone got to decorate 2 cupcakes, one to eat on the spot and one to take home in these perfect boxes from Bake It Pretty.

Big time thanks to Amanda, Sophia, and her sweet friends for letting me crash the party! (And also, check out Amanda's amazing handmade sweaters-knitted by her mum-on her website, Fairy Bread for Kids.)

Time for Cupcake Stands

I keep wondering what the next cupcake is going to be...is it the whoopie pie? The macaroon? The homemade marshmallow? None of these hold a candle to the preciousness of the c.c., so I seriously don't see the trend going anywhere anytime soon. So let's just commit to them. And what better way to show your dedication than to buy individual cupcake stands. Here are a few of my faves...

Love, love, love these sweet pedestals from Hello Hanna. Found via LMNOP.

The reveal of the cupcake would be oh so dramatic with this lovely ceramic stand by Whitney Smith. Found on Handmade Charlotte. 

I would love a windowsill full of cupcakes on these stands from Farmhouse Wares. 

Colorful little cupcake dishes by Michelle Miller found via The Peach Martini.