Hunt and Cut - 2011

My FAVORITE Montana tradition is cutting down a Christmas tree

(my California trees were usually purchased at Target).

We call this wonderful day

"Hunt and Cut"

and this year I made a special treat for the event....

Candy melt pretzel trees on coconut cupcakes!

Here's how to do it...

Gather all supplies- pretzel sticks, Candy Melts, a small zip-lock, and cupcakes.  

1. Prepare the Candy Melts according to the directions and place it in a small zip-lock bag.
Then, cut the tip off the corner of the bag (better to start with a small snip and make it bigger if needed).

2. Make a small strip of candy melts on wax paper (a little over half the length of the pretzel).

3. Place a pretzel rod on top of the candy melt strip. 

4. Starting at the top of the pretzel lightly squeeze the bag and create "branches".

5. Cross over the pretzel to the other side and....

6. Create "branches" on the other side.

7. Let the trees dry.

8. Place tree in a cupcake (I made coconut cupcakes to look like snow) and TA-DA!!

A forest of trees!

These would also be fun to decorate with sprinkles and other colors of Candy Melts.
I kept them all natural... just like the tree I chopped!

French Toast Brunch

Meet Elisha.....

She is one of my dearest friends here in Montana,
so when her birthday was approaching I knew I wanted to do something special.

My friend Sara and I decided we should have a "French Toast Brunch" because
Elisha loves french toast and it's one of her birthday traditions.

The wonderful and talented Kelli Trontel took GORGEOUS pictures for us.

This is one of my favorite parties I've done....

We decided to gut my living room and turn it into a dinning room.
I made a simple doily garland and hung it over the table.
and printed Happy Birthday banner from Ruffled and strung it in the window.
For the tablecloth I placed random fabrics on top of a white tablecloth to form runners.

The place settings consisted of layered paper plates/napkin and oranges with a name tag.
We also made one of a kind mustache cups simply by purchasing glasses at the thrift store
and painting them with glass paint.
Coffee pots were placed on the table and used for vases.

For brunch we ate... french toast!
Sara made french toast dippers and bacon.

Homemade syrups.... AMAZING!




Plenty of toppings.

Mini doughnuts.

Chocolate covered bacon... don't knock it, till you've tried it.
YUM.

"Eggs & Bacon"
Pretzel sticks with melted white chocolate and a yellow m&m.

Coffee.

For party favors I made french toast cupcakes with maple frosting topped with "bacon & eggs".

They were placed in a craft box and tied with twine. 

As usual it was a wonderful time with wonderful friends. 

All photos by Kelli Trontel Photography 

Linking -

Cinco De Mayo

For Cinco De Mayo I celebrated my friend's daughter's 2nd birthday 

and it was quite the FIESTA!

Alaina (mother of the birthday girl) asked me to make cupcakes 

for the occasion and I gladly obliged.

I decided on Mexican Chocolate Surprise cupcakes.

I baked basic chocolate cupcakes and made Mexican chocolate frosting. 

What's the surprise you ask? A mini Reese's in the cupcake!

 

 A friend of mine gave me some vanilla from Mexico.... AMAZING!!!

I made the toppers from tissue pom stickes by Martha Stewart 

(they carry her crafts at Joann's now... AHHH!!!).

And then.... because I'm crazy.... I purchased this can at the Dollar Tree 

because I'm in LOVE with the colors AND

I wanted to take pictures of the cupcakes on the can and 

I LOVE them!!! 

Photos by Elisha Guido. 

Linked here-

Cupcakes in a Jar

I LOVE jars. 

I feel my previous posts have shown my love of jars....

Breakfast in a jar

Presents in jars

Pie in a jar

Candles in jars

Jars as decorations

Jars as cups

and

my latest creation....

CUPCAKES in a JAR!

Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting &

Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting.

Cute, convient & delish!

Linking up here. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I wanted to make a treat for the staff today 

because they're amazing!

Since it's Saint Patricks Day, 

I knew something green was in order. 

I decided to make Bakerella's Red Green Velvet Cupcakes,

with the Pioneer Woman's (I'm meeting her tomorrow!!!!) 

World's Best Frosting.

To be honest (it's my blog, I can be open and honest here) 

I'm not a huge fan of Red Velvet desserts (gasp!). 

So, I injected the cupcakes with salted carmel.... yummmmmm.

Then I topped them off with green nonpareils.

I made the cute flags with tape I 

purchased from Michaels last year. 

I heart them. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Linking to-

A Woodland Baby Shower

So EXCITED to finally share these photos with you!

Last week we through our friend Jenn an EPIC

woodland themed baby shower.

This is Jenn and Devan's 1st child and

his name is Fawkes (pronounced "fox"),

so we thought a woodland theme was fitting.

Sara and I made a tree in her living room out of brown grocery bags.

The "leaves" were circles cut from scrapbook paper.

Name tags from the same paper.

For dinner we served soup, salad and bread.

I found these PERFECT mugs to serve the soup in.

At 10 cents a piece, I think it was a pretty good deal.

Inspiration for Toadstool Salad came from one of my

FAVE blogs The City Cradle.

The drink station was SUPER fun!

Pier 1 donated the FANTASTIC FOX window decal

that we placed on the wall.

We used clothes pins to attach tea, cider and coco packets

to a large branch.

My FAVORITE straws from Garnish 
in my favorite vintage blue Bell jar. 

The DESSERT island was very yummy.

We had a "Tree of Sweets" where we hung carmel corn in cones

made from the same scrapbook paper.

Porcupine cupcakes.

Owl S'mores from Living Locurto.

S'more cupcakes placed on tree stumps
and covered by glassed domes purchased
at the thrift store for $3. 

Fawkes Food was made up of munchies that Jenn has been

enjoying while pregnant.

Everyone got some Fawkes Food

to take home as a party favor.

This may be my favorite party thrown and DEFINITELY

my favorite pictures from a party!

Thanks Kevin for letting Elisha and I borrow your camera!