Trick or Treats Halloween 2013

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday.  I like to go more whimsical than spooky when it comes to my Halloween treat table.  I created the dessert table for last year's Halloween party I threw for my young nieces and nephews.  There were ghost Peeps, Halloween themed candy, Chex mix and pumpkin shaped cheese snacks.  I made vampire Rice Krispie squares; cereal balls made from Frankenberry cereal; candy covered Oreo eye-balls; and witch hats made from chocolate donuts with chocolate ice cream cones.  Labels and tags were my own creation.  This was less about baking my own treats and more about creating treats out of pre-made products bought at the local Target store.  Sometimes it is just as simple as finding inspiration in already made items.

Star Wars Lego Birthday Party

A six-year-old boy's birthday party was held at an athletic club.   I was limited in what decorations could be brought in because of the venue.  The six-year-old was a huge Star Wars Lego fan.  I created candy bags with his favorite candy and affixed tags that I created with the Star Wars Lego theme.  There was plenty of Star Wars favors and decorations but not so much Star Wars Lego items.  I wrapped candy bars with my own labels and glued Death Star cut-outs on gourmet lollipops.  I found some glow in the dark tubes to place in the push pops to look like light sabers.  I couldn't find the right shape for the tubes but it turned out okay for what I had to work with.  I made Yoda cake pops; sugar cookies in the shape of Darth Vader, Stormtroopers and Yoda; brownies made to look like Wookies, and cupcakes with meringue shaped like Jabba-the-hut.  The children were given gift bags filled with candy and Lego packs.  The venue provided the cake.  The Star Wars decorations were from Shindigz and I used my own Star Wars figures on the table.

Green Day 16th Birthday Party

For my son's sixteen birthday, I was inspired to create a dessert table inspired by one of his favorite rock bands, Green Day.  The color green was the inspiration for most of the treats.  There were green gum balls, green rock candy, apple caramel taffy, green stripped candy sticks, apple caramel lollipops and my sons other favorite candies.  I made red velvet cupcakes with green frosting, green candy covered Oreos, and green cake pops.  Heart shaped and bunny shaped sugar cookies were inspired by Green Day album covers.   I created a back-drop using print-outs of album covers and one of my son's Green Day t-shirts.  I also created labels and tags inspired by various album covers.

Disney Princess Tea Party

I hosted a Disney princess themed tea party at a historical inn for a seven-year-old girl's birthday party.  The guest came dressed as their favorite Disney princess and enjoyed, chocolate milk, lemonade, tea sandwiches, and mini-pastries.  For the treat table, I tried to incorporate a treat that represented each Disney princess.  

• Princess Jasmine aqua swirl pops 
• Mulan chocolate bars
• Rapunzel cotton candy cones
• Aurora candy covered Oreos
• Ariel pearl gumballs and seashell shaped candy
• Cinderella sugar cookies shaped as a glass slipper, dress and crown
• Belle macaroons
• Snow White apple cake pops

I created the tags and found some wonderful props to add to the over all theme: silver pumpkin, ceramic apple, lantern, shell, starfish, books and teacup.  The framed pictures of Aurora, Ariel, Cinderella and Belle were made using sticker sets from Mitchael's.  I also found great princess cutouts to place on the props.  

The wonderful cake was made by the bakery affiliated with the inn.  The party favors included gable boxes filled with crown, wand, candy necklace and ring.  The girls were also given mini ceramic tea set.  The party favors were from Shindigz.  I enjoyed putting my spin on a very popular birthday theme.