{Trends} Natural Backdrops for Dessert Tables

{The Party Dress}

Dessert tables are still extremely popular which I am so happy about! I mean, who does not like to see an entire table full of desserts when they walk into a party?! Fabric covered backdrops are still a fabulous way to incorporate your party colors and theme, but I have noticed a new "backdrop" popping up and it is so pretty and inviting...using nature as the backdrop!

Look at all of these gorgeous dessert tables and you will see how pretty nature can serve as your backdrop!

{Celebrate at Home}

{Party in Style by Elle}

{Little Sooti}

{Sweet & Saucy}

{La Belle Parties}

{Elizabeth Ann Designs}

{Ruby Ju}

{Party On via Amy Atlas}

{Love and Lavender}

S'mores Loving

Today is National S'mores Day! Where do they come up with these days? But hey, I'm not complaining! S'mores make it on my top 5 desserts and just might be my #1 favorite! Here is a compilation of favor ideas, sprawling dessert tables and delicious recipes all including S'mores. What could be better?!

FAVORS

{via nicole Macaluso}

An elegant presentation of take home s'mores. The calligraphy is beautiful and really dresses it up!

{via Oh Happy Day}

I sure would be happy if someone hand me a s'mores kit on my way out of a party!

{via Oh Happy Day}

{via Twig and Thistle}

Great modern way of packaging all of the fixings for the yummy treat! This way, you can make more than one. Yes, please!

{vía Once Wed}

Adorable packaging!

DESSERT TABLES

{via Postcards and Pretties}

This table is so simple, but looks so chic and perfect for a small gathering at home. Easy for anyone to create!

{via Cookie Creatives}

This table is filled with options from strawberry to lime marshmallows and dark and white chocolate...

{via Cookie Creatives}

{via Posh Pixels Design Studio}

A cute and rustic table with a Western feel. Perfect for a party at a farm or ranch!

RECIPES

S'mores Cupcakes

{via Homemade by Holman}

S'mores Cupcakes

{via Bakerella}

S'mores Rice Krispy Treats

{via Glorious Treats}

S'mores Pops by Glorious Treats

{via Glorious Treats}

S'mores Cookies by Glorious Treats

{via Glorious Treats}

S'mores Bars

{via Love in the Oven}

Run, don't walk to the grocery store and grab these ingredients to make yourself a s'mores treat! I just love this dessert. And not only because it tastes so good, but for the casual and down home feel it gives. Another plus! S'mores are inexpensive and everyone loves them!

Happy National S'mores Day! Until next year...

{Real Parties} Abracadabra, A Magical Dessert Table

This incredibly creative dessert table comes all the way from Spain from Dulce Sombremesa. It's hard to believe this was their FIRST dessert table to design! Clara and Susana, the duo who make up the team, are too cute! They said they decided "to pretend play Amy Atlas" and create a table for a close friend and relative who happens to be a professional magician. On a whim, Clara and Susana decided to enter the table in the Sweet Table European Contest 2010 and WON the Spanish contest and made it to the European finals!

Dolce Sombremesa created everything from scratch: designing, baking and crafts! The guests of honor is Susana's youngest brother and Clara's boyfriend. They looked back through some of Rafa's first magic tricks for inspiration and in their words, "the table tells the story of the classic elements that give life to a magic show". The treats on the table included chocolate muffin top hats and chocolate magic wands, chocolate playing cards, cookie rabbits, a magic kit with magic stars, aniseed magic dust, popcorn to eat during the show and a hiding place made out of sweet bread for the rabbit that is trying to hide so that the magician won't find it.

I think it's safe to say we are thrilled to have Dolce Sombremesa in the event planning world!!

{Real Parties} A Day in the Country

Hello friends! I am still alive and well in case you were wondering! It's mind boggling to me how busy I have been with client parties and end of the year activities with my boys. I promise to be back blogging in full force VERY soon.

This past weekend, my family hosted a Day in the Country party at our farm in Bellville, Texas. We had such a wonderful time hanging out with new country friends and friends who traveled to the event from Houston. Of course I had to add special touches here and there and Kelly from The Party Dress and WH Hostess was there to help. Kelly designed the cutest sunflower invitation with a fresh twist!

Simple tables adorned with white tablecloths and sunflower arrangements with accents of green were placed on top of custom fabric by Spoonflower (via WH Hostess) that was made to match the invitation design!

For dessert, we served various pies. This fit perfectly with our theme! I asked Kelly to design pie flags to place in each pie to let guests know which was which. The pie buffet included pecan pie from Goode Co. BBQ, Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie and Buttermilk from Royer's and Apple Pie from the Houston Racquet Club. The table was definitely a crowd pleaser!

Whole Foods (Woodway location) in Houston created gorgeous centerpieces for the tables!

As our friends departed, we handed out custom sunflower cookies made by Michael's Cookie Jar complete with a favor tag designed by Kelly that said, "Thanks for Spending the Day at Bellwood Farm".

I hope you enjoyed these pictures from our casual get together in the country! Hopefully these pictures will inspire you to host an outdoor summer party and take a flower, in this case, a sunflower, and give it a fresh twist.

Sources

Invitations & coordinating paper goods - WH Hostess

Flowers - Whole Foods, Woodway location. Ask for Gail!

White vases - Ikea

Cookies - Michael's Cookie Jar

Tablecloths - Aztec Houston

{Real Parties} Monkey Love, Part I: The Dessert Table

The Monkey Love party I styled for my client and friend, Shannon, and the collaboration with Kelly from The Party Dress and WH Hostess was one of my most favorite party experiences yet to date! I have so many fabulous pictures to share with you which I am going to split up between several posts so I don't overwhelm you with pictures and details.

Here are the details on the dessert table!

** Ellen Johnson of Ellen Zilla Photography did a phenomenal job capturing every detail! **

When I first met with Shannon for a walk through of the party space, we needed to determine the best spot for the dessert table. We found the perfect area with a large blank wall that just so happened to fit a 6 ft. table exactly. Initially, we were going to create a fabric backdrop, but instead, I thought it would be fun and different to anchor the space with a bright pink monogram decal in the birthday girl's initials! Shannon wanted to use poms from the beginning, so we hung three on each side of the monogram.

The table was full of scrumptious sweets! The guests were able to choose from macarons in the party colors, cupcakes, white chocolate covered Oreos, rock candy, yellow and pink salt water taffy and gumballs.

The Oreos were precious! We placed the Oreos in mini tulip cups and topped each one with a small fondant banana.

To make the banana stick, a little icing was dabbed on the fondant piece.

Kelly designed so many cute paper goods for this party! On the dessert table, her candy jar tags, cupcake toppers and tent cards were found by each selection along with an adorable flower sticker that adorned the take-home white gable boxes.

To give the table an additional pop of yellow, we filled the rock candy jars with lemon drops first which also served as a candy anchor.

Shannon bought several apothecary jars from Pottery Barn which she can reuse at home and at future parties!

She also fell in love with the pedestals by Rosanna, Inc. and purchased two to be used as cupcake stands. They were gorgeous!

Guests were given white gable boxes, adorned with a sticker by WH Hostess, to fill up with as many treats as they wanted to indulge in!

The next picture makes me laugh! It's always so funny to see the parent's gasp when their child is the first to run up to a dessert table and attempt to start grazing! I was there to let this cute little boy know he could go ahead and dig in. The look on his face is priceless!

Please stay tuned for Part II of the Monkey Love party which will showcase many gorgeous pictures of the party decor! In the meantime, you can visit the party post on Hostess with the Mostess!

Dessert Table Sources:

Paper goods by WH Hostess - cupcake toppers, candy jar tags, tent cards, flower sticker

Monogram Decal - Open Heart Creations

Poms - Party Poms

Mini tulip cups - Hey Yo Yo

White chocolate covered Oreos - The Chocolate Bar

Macarons - Maison Burdisso

Cupcakes - Central Market

Rock Candy - Oh Nuts

Taffy and Gumballs - Bulk Foods

Ribbon - Michael's

Apothecary jars - Pottery Barn

Sqaure cake stands - Rosanna, Inc.

Circle cake stands - Sur la Table

Gable boxes - Palmer Packaging