Guest Desserts: East Meets Crafty

I've gotten several wonderful submissions from budding dessert table designers. I'd love to feature your work here on Sweet Tooth, so please refer to the Submissions page to learn about the types of submissions I look for and the best way to send your pics and info.

Ok, now on to today's Guest Desserts feature. Mia of Story by Mia styled a bright, colorful dessert table for her friend's baby, Minho. Mia's husband, Insun, stepped in as photographer to capture this sunny images. Mia drew inspiration from these various paper crafts posts on Color Me Katie, and she made paper garlands, planes, centerpieces, and cupcake toppers.

Bright tulips were interspersed amongst Mia's rice cakes, rice cake balls, vanilla buttercream cupcakes, raspberry-topped meringues.

If you'd like to check out more of Mia's work, visit her website and Etsy shop. Thank you for sharing your design with us, Mia!

Week In Review & Gingerbread in Flight

There have been some fun posts this week on the Sweet Tooth, including:

I shared this inspiration board and sneak peeks of a modern dessert table design

This XOXO dessert table I made for Emily Steffen

A Target Valentine's dessert table submitted by a Sweet Tooth reader

I loved this beautifully sinister Snow White dessert table by Belle Amour

I also wrote a few yummy posts for City Pages' The Sweet Life, like:

Companies that let you design custom chocolate bars like these

I also gave some Valentine's suggestions for different types of chocolate addicts

If you're in the Twin Cities, be sure to check out these places to get great chocolate cakes

images by Go Make Me

Chocolate Cake Day!

I thought the holidays were over until Valentine's, but someone told me that today is Chocolate Cake Day. I know, it sounds like something I just made up to serve my own chocolate cravings, but it's true. So, in honor of Chocolate Cake Day I rounded up some gorgeous, gooey pics for us all to enjoy.

Be sure to follow some of your favorite local bakeries today. Many will offer discounts and freebies to followers. Happy Holidays!

If you missed the XOXO dessert table I designed for photog Emily Steffen, be sure to check it out here.

image 1: Gourmet magazine, image 2: Martha Stewart, image 3: Cannelle et Vanille, image 4: The Women's Room

Dessert Meets Design: XOXO Dessert Table for Mpls Photo Center

Yesterday, I shared some behind-the-scenes pics of photog Emily Steffen's workshop. Em asked me to design a dessert table for her students to photograph, and I was happy to do her that favor. She assembled a great team of talented women to pull off an inspirational wedding shoot, including Abby Rutchik of Mpls Photo Center, Melissa Stratton of Sadie's Floral, and Bethany Hway of b*spoke.

We set out to create a modern event using black, white, slate grey, and poppy red for the palette. This is the palette I created to help guide the vision. I also thought it'd be fun to incorporate an "xoxo" theme to tie the entire design together. For this table, I created a monochromatic cake, chocolate whoopie pies, and coconut cupcakes. I also designed xoxo popcorn boxes and candy bar wrappers to coordinate with the invitations and menu cards. Brownie balls, powdered donut holes, and macarons round out the selection.

Want to see the reception tables and the bride and groom? Here are a few shots, but be sure to check out Emily's blog for even more great pics.

This was such a great project, and I'm glad Emily invited me to join in the fun.

Contributors:

venue: The Mpls Photo Center
photography: Emily Steffen Photography
flowers: Melissa Stratton of Sadie's Floral
desserts: Shauna Younge Dessert Tables
styling: Bethany Hway
hair and makeup: Aubrey Thoren of Foiled Again Salon
bride and groom: Kayla & Elliot 
stemware, chargers and linen: Linen Effects

Dessert Table: Vintage Snow White

If you saw my Alice in Wonderland inspired dessert table for Nonpareil Magazine, then you know that I love the idea of turning children's stories into unusual, maybe even eerie, desserts. This Snow White themed dessert table by Belle Amour has everything. There are sugary sweet apples, little woodland creatures, and of course a dark and twisted looking mirror. A mini mountain of nougat is topped with cranberries and macadamia nuts. The black, white, and red palette is haunting and the wooded wallpaper makes a dynamic backdrop.

Mirror mirror on the wall, which dessert is best of all?

Behind the Scenes: Mpls Photo Center Workshop

A few weeks ago, I shared some sneak peeks of a project I was undertaking with photog Emily Steffen. The Mpls Photo Center was the venue for Emily's first photography workshop. She was going to teach students the art of photography, give tips on how to run a successful photography business, and some other tricks of the trade. To really give the students some hands-on practice, Emily needed some great wedding details for them to shoot.

She asked me to design a dessert table for the fictional wedding, and we along with florist Melissa of Sadie's Floral, Abby of the Mpls Photo Center, and Bethany of b*spoke collaborated to come up with the concept. I gathered these images (and a few more) to help get us all on the same page for the event's look. Stylist Bethany wanted a modern, graphic look, which I think is reflected in the board I created. She also opted for a poppy red color, rather than true orange.

Emily captured some of the students at work.

I'll be back with some more pics of the dessert table.  In the meantime, enjoy today's second post, which I'll share with you shortly. It's a wickedly fun dessert table that also has a graphic, bold color palette. See you soon!

Guest Desserts: Target Valentine's Visions

Remember the Totally Target Halloween dessert table I created a few months ago? Well, reader Tara of Shindig Diva was so inspired by it that she decided to design a Target Valentine's Day which she submitted and shared with me.

Tara found glittery LOVE and LAUGH letters that she used as a starting point for her design. You'll notice that she used inexpensive wrapping paper to cover her risers, which display pink heart-shaped whoopie pies and chocolate-covered brownie hearts. Cupcakes, cookies, marshmallows, and conversation hearts round out the dessert selections.

Tara used mini mailboxes as personalized favor containers.

Not only did all of Tara's elements come from Target, she found most of them in the retailer's $1 section, The Dollar Spot. If you're ever shopping for inexpensive seasonal items, be sure to check out this little section at the front of the store. It's always full of great little favor bags and props that are perfect for a dessert table.

Tara admits she's a little obsessed with Target's fabulosity, so she plans to do a series of dessert tables using only the store's products. Thank you for sharing your design, Tara. I'm sure your upcoming Target designs will just as colorful and fun.

Do you have a dessert table, recipe, or DIY project to share? Check out the Submissions page to find out how.

Cookie Art & Week In Review

This picture is a perfect way to usher in the weekend. These Sweetapolita paintbrushes are so realistic that I didn't even realize they were cookies. I just thought they were props to go along with the cookie paint palettes. It's been a great week full of pretty desserts and creative projects. In case you missed one, here's a recap.

Mallow cookies via Tartlette were a lovely way to start the week.

We oohed and aahed over this crafty dessert table garland by Simplesmente Branco and Pinga Amor.

I fell in love with this girly woodland dessert table via Sweetapolita.

Inspiration is everywhere. This dessert table was inspired by a fabric pattern.

In other exciting news, I've started writing a new column for City Pages' Hot Dish. 

The Sweet Life focuses on dessert trends and news, with emphasis on the Twin Cities. Be sure to check it out all of this week's posts here if you haven't already. As always, I'd love to read your comments.

We're going to kick off next week with a reader's fun dessert table submission. She was inspired by this design of mine, so I'm thrilled to share it with you. Want to join the fun? Submit your desserts, DIYs, and projects.

image #1 via Sweetapolita, image #2 via Somewhere Splendid

Dessert Table: Fabulously Fabricated

Inspiration for a dessert table's design can come from anywhere. April Foster Events and Megan W Photography chose a light teal and khaki brown, abstract floral patterned fabric to focus their table's design. You'll notice that the cake's design perfectly matches the pattern on the lampshades for the dining table.

The paper goods were also fitted to the table's design. 

The simple treats on this table are made fab by the mixing and matching patterns that bring the look together. I think the meringues are my favorite. What a lovely hue. 

What's your favorite part?

images 1-4: The Sweetest Occasion, images 5 & 6: Elizabeth Anne Designs

Dessert Table: Pink, Pretty Woodlands

Last week, I shared Sweet Tooth reader Chelsea's first dessert table with you. Today, I'm back with another baker's first effort. This mushroom filled dessert table is probably the cutest interpretation of a woodland theme I've ever seen, and it's Rosie's of Sweetapolita. The white, pink, and brown desserts hint at the Neapolitan cake. Meringue mushrooms and mushroom cookies add a woodsy touch, while mini monogrammed cakes with quilted surfaces bring a girly vibe.

Did you notice that the chocolate cupcakes each got their own little hello hannah cupcake stand? Aren't those adorable? I also love that the table's inspiration originated in this owl blabla doll. My little one loves her Coco blabla, and I can't imagine how cute a little dessert table inspired by Coco would be.

Dessert Table: Paper Crafts Whimsy

Today's dessert table feature is the most DIY-able one I think I've ever seen, but don't for a second think that means it isn't just as fabulous as a more complex design. Susana of Simplesmente Branco and Ana of Pinga Amor designed this whimsical, vibrant display, which was featured on Somewhere Splendid.

This design is a great example of bringing what you do best to a project. If you haven't mastered intricate frosting work or fondant skills, simply incorporate a craft (like paper fans and flowers) that you can do well to make a bold statement. Simple desserts are the perfect compliment to such a visually arresting backdrop.

This small side table only features three mini bundt cakes, one unfrosted cupcake, and some cookies. But when combined with the hot pink, white, and kraft brown garland it becomes an amazing display.

We also get a little extra oomph with help from some little friends. I love that the little deer gets a cake plate all to himself.

This simple design has so much personality. What's your favorite part?