With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I am excited to share a couple projects to celebrate the holiday with subtly and style. These milk heart cubes are a sweet surprise for your man’s morning coffee or a tall glass of milk. As they melt, the milk turns pink (the twins were in love!).

To make the milk cubes, combine milk and a few drops of red food coloring together in a small bowl. Fill an ice cube tray, my heart one is from Ikea and freeze overnight. So easy, right!?!

PS. A few other Valentine favorites you might have missed… individual mini fondue, sweet love brownies, stitched hearts (these would make adorable Valentines), crocheted heart cake toppers and one of my first DIY blog posts painted love bottles.

I found the brightest fortune cookies last month at my local World Market and grabbed a bag of them immediately knowing they would be useful for a party. Using tweezers I took out the sayings that came inside of each cookie and replaced them with my own hand written, “thanks!” creating this super easy, bright and festive idea for wedding and party favors. See the complete tutorial and a link to buy bright fortune cookies online over at Project Wedding.

Thanks to an old Real Simple Magazine issue, I’ve discovered the easiest way to frost a cake… with a comb! I tried it out and it works. Genius idea for last minute parties and homemade goodies.

Stamped with love they are perfect for Valentines Day. Stamp with the words party, joy, or happy for a birthday. Stamp with the word eat for a whimsical dinner party appetizer addition. The fruits are not only pretty but also edible! See the complete tutorial at Project Wedding.

blessings.

Making miniature table-top grills is a really fun way to serve small foods at your next party. I designed these with simple materials you can find at a craft store and they come together in about 15 minutes. Once assembled set them up on your table between every 2-3 seats and serve small shish-kabobs, meat or use them as a table top marshmallow roast for dessert.

To make the grills, use one small terracotta planter, wire mesh and two miniature adjustable cake pans. Using a drill with bit attached drill holes into one of the cake pans. Measure the bottom of your planter and cut out a wire mesh circle to be placed inside. Stack two cake pans with the holes drilled pan at the bottom (for oxygen) and glue together. Set the terracotta planter inside the two stacked pans, fill with charcoal and top with the wire mesh. Light and enjoy grilling small foods (it’s fun!).

blessings.

I am sharing a simple DIY for bright wooden ball cake stands at Project Wedding today. I love how introducing bursts of bright color into winter celebrations quickly livens up any dreary weather outside.

The stands are fun to build up into differing heights for a festive dessert bar or place one layer under a glass plate for an instant celebratory setting.

PS. Mini chocolate cakes sprinkled with powdered sugar have become my go-to celebration dessert. They are simple and stylish at the same time (sweets can be stylish, right?!?).

blessings.

There is no more scrumptious treat this time of year than the crispness of a funnel cake. It is a sugary celebration in itself! Rosie’s recipe is made with root beer and fried in a pan, so you could definitely try it to cap off your weekend at home.

Recipe and photos by Sweetapolita.

blessings.

It is impossible to get through this busy time of year without cheating just a little… Right? I am totally guilty of cutting corners when rushed. A couple weeks ago I made a huge batch of scrumptious pumpkin bread out of the box (gasp!). I mixed the bread according to the box, but substituted pumpkin in exact proportion for the oil. It made the bread taste moist and completely homemade.

It may sound silly but giving up your perfection just a little can really help you celebrate well these coming months and I promise your bread will still taste great!

I also made a cinnamon buttered dip to go along with the bread and am sharing the recipe plus a cute way to package them together for favors today over at Project Wedding.

blessings.

I have an adorable menu card to share with you today. Made for an anniversary dinner by my friend Erin, it is simple and perfect for any gathering this fall. You can use any editing program to type in your dinner or hand write for a more casual meal. Print out by clicking here.

For the rest of this really pretty anniversary dinner, click through to this post.

blessings.

I made these whoopie pies last year for Christmas and thought they would make adorable thank you favors. The whoopie pies taste amazing and are easy to make with marshmallow fluff and baking glitter. The ingredients look festive packaged together with ribbon in a pretty box. They would be a sweet addition to a party or wedding. See the full tutorial with instructional download over at Project Wedding.

Photography by Jackie Wonders.

blessings.