LA, Here We Come!

Yup, I'm in the Mom Squad. Last month, kiddo and I flew to LA for a fun video shoot. Before we dive into the shoot details, let's just talk about the logistics of getting there, shall we? 

I've been to California before, but never the LA area, and the mere idea of the 101 was giving me heart palpitations. This would also be my first trip where we weren't meeting up with a family member or friend at the airport. Basically, once we got on our flight from MSP, we were on our own. I was terrified about getting lost, ending up on a future episode of Criminal Minds that centered on a deranged Uber driver, and a million other catastrophes. 

I was also wrestling with managing all of these variables on a really tight timeline. I knew this would be a fun memory for us to have of "that time we did that thing," but I'm still a mom, so school takes priority. I wanted to minimize how much school she missed, so here's how we rolled:

• Mon 3 pm : leave school, head directly to MSP
• Mon 9 pm : arrive in CA (We lost 2 hours on the time change.)
• Tues 9 am : arrive on set 
• Tues 1 pm : get thee to the airport
• Tues 11 pm : land at MSP, drive home, sleep
• Wed 8 am : school time!

We made it! We caught each connecting flight, didn't get assaulted by a cabbie, and had the best day with an amazing crew. The makeup artist even hooked me up with the perfect, customized nude lipstick.

We were onset in an amazing private residence for a Playtime with Mom segment for Momtastic. We talked about all of the fun things we do together and her never-ending quest for a dog. Luckily for her, StarLily is getting her closer to accomplishing her goal.

I'm supa dupa happy to report that everything went so smoothly. Kiddo only missed one day of school, and she was up and ready to go the next day. I was crossing my fingers that she wouldn't be a moody, groggy mess, but she was great. Be sure to check out our Playtime with Mom video. It's a two-parter, so be sure you give that right arrow a click after the first one.

Twin Cities Live Craft Star Challenge Pt I

Imagine a Project Runway-esque craft competition created to find the Twin Cities' most awesome crafter. I was chosen, along with three other talented women, to compete for the coveted title on Twin Cities Live, and it's getting intense.

We started with a mad dash through Jo-Ann Fabrics and a shopping budget of $150. Let's just say, I was in the zone! Check out the video to see how our hunt for craft supplies went down, and how I put those items together to create my tablescape.

Dessert Meets Design: Sweet Birdie Birthday Party and Dessert Table

You know I L-O-V-E a good party, but I was determined not to go overboard planning, decorating, and designing stuff for my girl's third birthday. So, instead of inviting over a million of her tiny friends or renting out a bounce house venue, I temporarily converted my office into the perfect party spot for her birthday party. Her only request was that her closest little friends and a cake be in attendance at her soiree, which photog Sydnee Bickett captured beautifully. 

After I designed the hexagon and faux bois invites and found a great cake recipe, I planned a bash that was full of bright, spring-y colors offset by lots of white and gold accents. I created DIY faux bois color block placemats to bring color and warmth to my white desk for the girls to dine in style. 

Along with sliders, powdered donuts, and popcorn, the girls devoured vanilla ice cream and my strawberry cake. I customized labels with each girl's name to decorate the paper ice cream cups from Sweet Party Shop. I also designed faux bois labels for the milk bottles to add a natural element to the all-white room. Land of Nod's birdie garland and cupcake kit added a bit of whimsy to the dessert table that really kicked up the color a notch. 

The birdie garland also added a fun touch to the faux bois backdrop I made for the photo booth. Lila smiled happily with her sister and friends as she wore the a DIY starburst birthday crown I made for her. Sydnee even managed to snap a picture of us all smiling, which is basically a small miracle.

Credits

party concept, styling, and dessert table: Shauna Younge

images: Sydnee Bickett

birdie garland and cupcake kit: Land of Nod

ice cream cups: Sweet Party Shop
my projects: DIY starburst birthday crown and DIY faux bois color block placemats

DIY Geometric Gender Reveal Truffles

I'm in a gender reveal state of mind. My friend (and Confetti Pop assistant) recently had a GR party, and I was the only attendee that knew the sex of the baby pre-party. So. Much. Pressure! The other guests kept trying to sneakily get me to spill the beans. Now that her party is behind us, I'm still in a boy or girl mystery mood. I designed these DIY Geometric Gender Reveal Truffles exclusively for Momtastic. Click on over there to get the how-to.

Dessert Meets Design: Ruffles with a Side of Star Wars Dessert Table

It's been forever since I touched based on this ole blog. Hopefully, you've been following along on Pinterest and Instagram, because I'm loving both those platforms right now. But, it's been a while, so it's good to get back to my blogging roots. I love working with Kirsten of Fab Event Design, and this time was no different.

What better way to say, "Hey, girl heeeey!" and get back in the swing of blogging than with a pretty dessert table I designed for Katharine & Tim's wedding? It was photographed by Melissa Oholendt and dressed up with Munster Rose blooms all set in beautiful Aria Minneapolis.

My clients, Katharine and Tim, wanted the table's vibe to match the femininity of the bride's blush pink dress (It was ah-mazing!) and the elegance of the invite's soft silver, ivory, and champagne palette. As pretty as the table was, it was also really important to the bride and groom that we incorporate a little Star Wars into the design. Gateaux added a tiny Princess Leia and a lil' Chewbacca for the topper on their ruffle cake. I was so obsessed with the cake frosting, that I had to try to recreate it at home weeks later. The kids were all over that. Here's another close-up of these two when they came out from behind the bow.

This sophisticated design wouldn't be complete without some macarons, custom monogrammed petit fours, and shooters. I designed custom favor boxes for the kids and custom bags for the chocolate potato chips and bacon brownies. Because let's face it, it wouldn't do to just have them sitting in a bowl on the table.

The sweet display wouldn't have been complete without the R2D2 groom's cake. Not only was he made following a very specific blueprint, he also made the robot's trademark sounds and lit up! Want to hear for yourself? Check out this video I posted from the wedding. 

Check out the noises this R2-D2 grooms cake made. Amazing, right?!?

A video posted by Shauna Younge (@shaunayounge) on Mar 8, 2014 at 9:36pm PST

Loved this couple, loved the vendors, loved it all!

venue: Aria Minneapolis

photographer: Melissa Oholendt

planner: Fab Event Design

dessert table, custom favors, custom labels: Shauna Younge

florals: Munster Rose

cakes, petit fours, shooters: Gateaux

macarons: Cocoa and Fig

chocolate potato chips: Sweet Chocolat

Easy-to-Make King Cake Pops for Mardi Gras

This weekend, I decided to put a twist on the traditional King Cake for Mardi Gras. Instead of hiding a tiny toy baby inside a cinnamon-y, sprinkle-covered cake, I made these little cake pops. The entire process only took about 10 minutes! So, get your cake pop maker out and check out my post on Momtastic to learn how to make these sweet New Orleans treats.

Admit, you're totally ready to get into the Mardi Gras spirit! Now, swing by Momtastic to check out my King Cake Pops tutorial.

pics by yours truly

Kiddo's Retro Modern Birthday and Dessert Table

Whew! Kiddo's 6th birthday has come and gone. Now that I'm rested up from all that designing, planning, and crafting, it's the perfect time to share some pics and projects. You know me, I had to DIY some cute stuff and design a dessert table to customize her bash, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. So, I created an inexpensive photo booth backdrop, a retro modern dessert table backdrop, some milk bottles, and a colorful dance floor for breakdancing.

The fab Sydnee Bickett captured all of the lovely details, and I'm sharing tutorials for the projects on Momtastic. I also give my 5 Tips to Makeover a Bland Birthday Venue, which helped us save some money. Check that out, and be sure to swing by to learn to make your own:

DIY Retro Diamond Paper Plate Backdrop
DIY Number Outline Birthday Photo Backdrop
DIY Retro Diamond Color Block Bottles

These little diamond color block milk bottles were another easy, inexpensive DIY. I wrote up the tutorial for Momtastic. Swing by for the how-to.

 

Last year, I made a little cake for her. This year, we had a million (read: 14) kids in attendance, so cupcakes seemed like a more manageable option.

This giant number 6 photo booth backdrop was easy and really inexpensive to make. You've got to check out my tutorial.

 

I danced as much as the kids, and this pic of my two girls dancing together makes me so happy!

Last-Minute Halloween Idea: DIY Monster Mouth Favors Pt II

It's two days until it's time to hit up the neighbors for sacks full of candy. That's right, friends, Halloween is almost here! You know I'm jazzed about that. Even if you haven't crafted a single Halloween project with your kids, it's not too late to get in on in some spooky fun. I made these DIY Monster Mouth Favors for Momtastic, and they're a breeze.

Make them with your kids, or surprise them by slipping one in their lunchbox on Friday. They take 5 mins, I promise! Swing by Momtastic to check out the tutorial. You can also see this bad boy in action on my Instagram feed.

And, I know you're thinking, "Why is this project labeled as Part II?" Well, because you might want to check out the DIY Monster Mouth Favors I whipped up last year.

DIY S'mores Truffles

You know I love a good bonfire (find proof here, here, and here). But more than that, I love roasted marshmallows. I whipped up these DIY S'mores Truffles for Momtastic, and they're pretty fab. All the roasted goodness in a lunchbox-able size.

Swing by Momtastic to get the how-to for this delicious tutorial. Mmmm! So, good.

DIY Kids Say... Birthday Cake Toppers

Kiddo's headed back to school, and that means birthday parties for classmates are going to fill up our calendar soon. You may remember her faceted 5th birthday party last year. This year, I think something silly and lighthearted might be a fun way to go. Enter these DIY Kids Say... cake toppers, which showcase all the things kiddo's friends like about her. I whipped them up for Momtastic, so you should definitely swing by and check out the post.

Try not to smile over these goofy toppers. Go ahead, I dare you!

Search for Your Awesome Dessert Table + Party

I basically won the blogger lottery, when Bing recruited my Confetti Pop partner, Maddy, and I to co-host a party with Alison of The Alison Show for the Minneapolis leg of her Search for Your Awesome tour. We invited lots of great, local bloggers, business owners, and creatives and taught the in-person version of The Style Lab, our photo styling e-course. Here are few fab pics that photog Gene Oh shot of the festivities, including the dessert table I designed (Hello, macarons, gold flamingo cookies, and candy!) and Studio Fleurette's florals. Don't forget to check out the tote bags Maddy designed.

Obviously, I had to make this ridiculous face. Seriously, what is that face?!?

And, you know I had to grab a pic with my girl, Alanna. She helped us during the party and even stayed to clean up after this big, crazy bash. Thanks, giiiirl!

We had so much fun, and we always love any opportunity to teach our e-course, The Style Lab, in person. To all the attendees, thanks for joining us! And of course, none of it would be possible without Bing.

Styling + Concept: Shauna Younge, Maddy Hague
Co-host: Alison Faulkner
The Style Lab photo styling class taught by Confetti Pop 
Catering: Chowgirls Killer Catering
Photographer: Gene Oh Photography
Florist: Danielle Erickson
Venue: 514 Studios
Graphic Designer: Tosha Seeholer
Videographer: Modern Atelier