BUDGET TIP ~ Wedding Cakes

We wanted to share this idea with you, it is from my (Denice's) mother in law, She saw it on the Rachael Ray show:

Twin sisters were sharing their tips for saving money...coupons, free online birthday offers and ways to save on your wedding costs. One of the sisters whose wedding would have cost over $20,000 spent only $6,000!

One of the savings was on the wedding cake. She said she went into the bakery and said she needed to order a cake for" an event". A specialty cake for 200 people. All she said was it was an event...she didn't tell them it was for a wedding, (that jacks up the price immediately). Soooo it might not be as elaborate in decorating but you can add your own flair and your cake topper. I think she said that she spent $200 instead of $1,000. The cake was still delicious.

Just thought it was interesting if a bride is on a budget!! Brilliant!!

*hugs*
Denice & her Mother In Law: Normie Dunes =)

Photo Credit: Photography By Soozie

Plants vs. Zombies Birthday Party!

Katie recently threw one of her kiddos an AMAZING 6th birthday party.  I am not sure if you are familiar with the game (available on the iPhone and iTouch) but it is called Plants vs. Zombies.  I personally have never played it, but kid #1...he plays ALL THE TIME!

Of course, Katie and Cindy were super creative.  From the cake to the photo op to the games, it was all hand made! Here are the photos:

 The Birthday Boy, AKA Pea-Shooter

 The Plants

 The Bucket Head Zombies

 The Zombie Cake

 The Plant Cake Pops

 The Plant Cake Pops

 The Plant Cake Pops

 The Plant Cake 

The Decorations

One of the Plants...Yes, kid #2

The photo op- that is me and kid #1

Hope you enjoy!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Katie

Katie Opens Her Esty Shop!

Katie is branching out. She has opened her very own esty shop!!  She is going to be creating, adorable hand crafted vintage style cake toppers. Every detail meticulously thought out to create a one of a kind addition for your cake. Details like color and veil can be changed to better suit your magical day. Every topper is custom made so every one is unique!

Here is one Katie created for a recent wedding:

Contact Katie at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/daisymaydelux

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Katie

Fantastic Finds ~ April 15, 2011

So I have been a little MIA I know...Sorry! Life has been crazy these past two weeks!! So here are a few fabulous post I have come across this week, ENJOY, I will be back soon!!

Super cute ideas for the Bride to be post wedding day http://www.theblogforbrides.com/1/post/2011/04/what-to-wear-on-your-bridal-shower.html

Who loves tea? I DO! My buddy Leeann over at Join the Gossip really wants to have one (it may be on the books for me to do one with her, I'll keep you all posted!)  http://jointhegossip.blogspot.com/2011/04/lets-have-tea-party.html

Bridal shower cookies that look like booties covered in panties / or a bikini bottom, SUPER cute!!! Also great for a bachelorette party! http://pinkmartinisandpearls.blogspot.com/2011/04/bridal-shower-tushie-cookies.html

Need ideas to be stress free in your wedding planning, check out http://oceandreams4sierra.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-post-by-molly-wedding-talk.html

Want your big day to be eco friendly? Check out this post http://www.budgetawedding.com/2011/04/8-ways-to-have-an-eco-friendly-wedding/

If I had little girls, I would SO do this party! Cake decorating!! Check it out, it is super cute http://adreamparty.blogspot.com/2011/04/cake-decorating-party-part-1.html

 

Have a great weekend friends!

 

*hugs*

Denice

The Troll Cake

Katie and Cindy are at it again being UBER creative. Their grandma recently had a milestone birthday and they took to creating her a fabulous cake.  This had to be a cake that was fun, and could also feed lots of people.

Here is a little background on what they were dealing with:

1) Their family is from Norwegian ancestry.
2) Their grandma is a bubbly lady, full of energy!
3) They all grew up in a mountain town (skiing, snow, lodges etc.).
4) They come from a HUGE family.
5)They have family from Minnesota.


Ok with that, here is the TROLL CAKE!

REMEMBER, they were 100% , hand-crafted Trolls from molding clay, all by these ladies.  They spent lots of time creating them, see:

What can I say, these ladies can do it all!  See, the cake is even edible!!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit:
Photography by Soozie and Katie

Cacao Sweets and Treats

I was recently sent these delicious treats from (cacao) sweets & treats review.  They are SO CUTE!  (cacao) sweets & treats offers a gourmet line of delicious delights, specializing in Cake Truffles,Impossibly Moist Cupcakes and our Signature Brownies.  (cacao)'s gourmet sweets & treats are handmade from scratch using the finest natural and organic ingredients and are always fresh to order.

I was sent the gourmet Cake Truffles, and it was so dainty and sophisticated!  The Cake Truffles are rich and decadent bon-bon like treat that are moist and creamy on the inside with a luscious chocolate coating. Each Cake Truffle is lovingly rolled, dipped and decorated by hand one at a time. They are made with the finest fresh, natural and organic ingredients. They come in fabulous flavors such as Triple Chocolate, French Vanilla, Lemon, Almond, Spiced Chi, Toasted Coconut (just to name a few!).

The Cake Truffles can serve as beautiful Dessert Centerpieces, Wedding Cakes, Dinner Party Favors, Birthday, Romantic Getaway treats and much more!

Check out their website and Esty site!  They currently have Beer Cupcakes - One for the Guys Newcastle, Guinness or Blue Moon, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month Cake Truffles.

*hugs*

Denice

Photo Credit:

Gift box: me!

All others: (cacao) sweets & treats

Indiana Jones Themed Party

Katie's son recently turned 5.  He is a huge Indiana Jones fan, so what more perfect than an Indie themed party? Leave it to Katie and Cindy to create the atmosphere of a great Indiana Jones move, all while making the kids the lead role. I guess you could say kids parties are our favorite to do!

The party was held at Momma Labonte's house (because of the pool).  the kids were able to swim and have fun.  Cindy set up a great obstacle course for your young Indiana Jones and guests to run through.  It was so fun.  While the kids were running through the course, looking for their treasure and artifacts, we the parents, were shooting "poison"darts (q-tips out of straws) at them.  It was so funny, and the kids thought it was great!

Cindy and Katie made each kid their own hat, whip and satchels. All by hand of course!

The cake was another momma Labonte original, complete with Lego Indiana Jones characters.

For food we kept it simple (I know...simple right), hot dogs and hamburgers. BUT we did have the "poison" drink (blue koolaid) and the "antidote" drink (lemonade).  Complete with slithering snakes.

This was a great idea for a kids party!  If you are interested in the satchels (which were made from dish towels) and whips, let us know...we could do a "how to" post on them!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo credit: me!

Tahitian Themed Bridal Shower

We are at it again with the tropical themes.  I guess we love them and they come easy to us! So here we go...

We recently put together a bridal shower for a great friend.  She is getting married in July and lives at the beach so the Tahitian/Tropical theme just just fit.  We were able to recycle a lot of our decorations form past parties (50th anniversary, birthdays etc).  It was a small, so we were able to go a little over the top on food and drinks.

We simplified the centerpiece to be functional and fun.  We used sand and HOMEMADE bamboo, flower pens. Yes...homemade!  Sometimes Katie and Cindy get so creative I could just die.  Where they come up with these things is beyond me. But hey, that's why we are a good team, they are creative and I help organize and execute! Anyways, back to the pens:

We wrapped the patio posts in a burlap fabric and used real palms out the top to look like trees:

The famous KDC Event photo op was present (recycled from the anniversary party):

We served appetizers and a main course. The appetizers were delicious, see below for photos and details. For the main course we served chicken and beef kabobs with fresh veggies, coconut cilantro rice, and pasta salad.

For the appetizers we had delicious grapes that were rolled in a cream cheese/blue cheese mixture covered in shaved almonds, and an artichoke Parmesan mixture stuffed in homemade won ton cups A beautiful fruit and veggie tray.  We also served a signature drink, called a Tropical Honeymoon:

Beef and Chicken Kabobs with delicious, Fresh Veggies and Coconut Cilantro Rice:

The cake was a Momma Labonte original complete with surfer girl cake topper (thanks to Cindy):

It was such a fun shower to put on.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Let us know what your thoughts are on it, Thanks!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credits: Us =)

6 Great Ideas for a Summer Party

Part of my 31 Day Build a Better Blog Challenge, I needed to create a list post, so here is my attempt: 6 Great Ideas for a Summer Party! Have fun reading =)

There are only a few more weeks of Summer left, it has gone by so fast.  I can't let Summer come to an end without one more blow out, so I started thinking up some ideas.  I narrowed the list down to 6, super fun, summer party ideas.  Check them out and let me know which one sounds like the most fun. 

Did I leave any great ideas out? If so, fill me in!!

Kids Summer Fun Party

For this idea, you can incorporate all the things kids love about Summer: 

- Water balloon fights

- Swimming / Slip-n-slides

- Water gun fights
- Watermelon
- Hot dogs and hamburgers
- Fun treats: My favorite sweet oriented blog, Save The Date for Cupcakes,  has a  bunch of great displays:
~ Rainbow & Race Cars
~ Red, White and Blue Backyard BBQ
~ Splash Bash

Outdoor Cocktail Party
This one is for the adults, unless you make your cocktails "G"rated! There are so many things you can do for this one.
- Wine Tasting

- Margarita Tasting

- A funky glass exchange

- Lots of yummy finger foods

- Create a "Wine" club or "Beer" club and discuss likes and dislikes (similar to a book club)

- Find lots of yummy drink recipes at Celebrations web site

- Do a Wine/Cocktail exchange where everyone brings their favorite and you share (like a cookie exchange)

Beach Party

The Beach Party is a classic Summer must have.  If you are nowhere near a beach, you can always create one in your own back yard. Just get some blow-up pools, bags of sand and lots of friends. Some necessities:

- Beach balls

- Beach umbrellas
- Picnic lunch
- Bon fire
- Boogie boards
- Beach attire
- Kites

- Sand toys

- Creative Beach Cupcakes

Summer BBQ Pool Party

- Pool rafts

- BBQ

- Bubbles

- Cannon ball contest

- Fruity drinks

- Safe (and legal) fire works

- Watermelon pops

- Have a pool scavanger hunt

Camp Out Party

- Smores (try Peach Smores)

- Build a camp fire

- Pitch some tents and sleep in your backyard

- Roast hot dogs on hamburgers

- Tell ghost stories

Christmas in July

You guessed it. Make your Christmas decorations work over-time this year by getting your

garland, tree ornaments, and artificial Christmas tree down from the attic...for instant

holiday atmosphere.

- Surfing Santa

- Christmas tree made from a palm tree

- Snow ball fights (made from white, nylon filled fabric)

- Cookie decorating (but use watermelon as the cookie!)

I hope you enjoy these ideas! Happy end of Summer!

*hugs*

Denice

Photo credits: ME!
Watermelon ideas: Family Fun Magazine

Fantastic Finds- June 18, 2010

Here are some Fantastic Finds that I have come across this past week in bloggyland. I hope you find them useful and entertaining!

Fathers Day/Graduation:

~ Cute Fathers Day cake ideas on Tweedle Designs
~ Super cute ideas for Graduation Dessert Display form Save the Date for Cupcakes

Kids:

~ A super cute Snow-White themed tutu from TuTuBug: I wish I had a daughter to put in this...do you think Cooper would mind?? LOL!

Party:

~ Danielle from Sugar and Spice Events is fabulous, I love reading her blogs. This one is a MUST read: Dinner is served- 10 things for a perfect dinner party
~ Miss Janice is the "Go to Lady" for all things Etiquette: Check out the correct way to drink your Iced Tea with Mind your "Teas"s and Q's

Health:

~ Turbo Fire In House from: Feeling Fit with Dana

Wedding:

~ Who decides what the Flower Girl should wear from: The Bridal Party LLC
~ Pre-marital Counseling? Check out Bridal Buds

Happy Weekend y'all!

*hugs*
Denice

Fantastic Finds May 12, 2010

Hello Everyone! I hope you are all doing well. If you ever come across a Fantastic Find, please be sure to share it with us so we can include it in our next Fantastic Finds post. Happy Wednesday!

Health:

Check out Super Hot Chica in Training for a great book review: This is Why You're Fat: Review & Book Giveaway #2!  

~ Visit The Healthy Bride for wedding weight loss information.

Beauty:

~ Does self-tanner protect skin from the sun?  Check out what the New Beauty Blog has to say.

~ Win The Ultimate Smoky Eye Kit! Check out  Beauty on a Dime over at the Daily Makeover to enter.

Wedding:

~ What does hip really mean? Holly is full of great information, check out her blog!

~ Ceremony Stage Fright? Check out what the Broke Ass Bride has to say.

~ The Bridal Bud ran a poll on which accessory is best for a bridal do, and the VEIL won! Check out why.

~ More Veil Inspiration form Project Wedding!

~ Spring themed wedding cakes from Pink Cake Box

For the Guys:

~ Actual Toast Given by Actual Best Man: Reader Comment of the Day

~ Father Of The Bride.  Advice from iamstaggered.com.

Happy reading all =)

*hugs*

Denice

Fantastic Finds March 5th 2010

It's time again for KDCEvents.com Fantastic Finds! We searched the web this week to find you some of the best and most unique ideas out there. We hope you enjoy them, Happy Reading!

Wedding:
~ Looking for fabulous shoes for your big day? Check out this post from Wedding Wire: Wedding Shoe Trends We Love.

~ Need some original wedding day photo inspiration? Check out Bravo Bride.
~ Wording on your Wedding Invitation is important! Check out Wedding Invitation Etiquette at eInvite.

Kids Parties:
~ Need a fun cake for your upcoming kids party? Look no further and visit Cupcakes Take the Cake and see how to make a Ferris-wheel-of-cupcakes.

Beauty:
~ Lip gloss running low? Check out my favorite over at TINte Cosmetics.
~ Girls day out! Check out Pamper Me Fabulous for the the "oh-so-chic spa, beauty, and health & wellness event for women by women and about women"

This and That Fun:
~ Looking for something to do in Los Angeles? Check out Join the Gossip's recent post about a delicious dessert hot spot Syrup Desserts in Downtown LA
~Under Sea Adventures sound like fun? Check out Things To Do With Your Kids for their recent post about the The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

A Family Wedding

Recently Katie and Cindy embarked on yet another adventure...a family wedding! The two wonderful ladies helped a couple exchange vows in a backyard that was transformed into a dream.

With tons of twinkle lights and a nature theme, Katie and Cindy showed off some spectacular work. Katie even hand sculpted a chirping bird cake topper, complete with hand embroidered name banner.

These two never skimp on anything! Below are some photos from the event:

*hugs*

Denice