Sweet Idea: Valentine's Day Store Bought Cake

I've got two sweet things for you today. The first, a fabulously simple cake just in time for Valentine's Day. The ladies of 100 Layer Cake bought a small, iced cake and adorned it with fruits and flowers. It's a perfect companion to a lovey-dovey dinner. 

pics by Scott Clark Photo

Dessert Table: Airy Affair

Soft pinks bathed in beautiful sunlight? Yes, please! This inspiration shoot photographed by nbarrett photography is so light, bright, and airy that I melted a little when I saw the dessert spread.

pics via Ruffled

Dessert Table: Soft and Subtle

This dessert table by Layered Bake Shop is beautifully shot by N. Barrett is framed in the softest, prettiest light. Top that off with pale pink and white floral details, and you have a dessert buffet that makes an elegant, understated statement.

images by N. Barrett

Dessert Table: Gradient Goodness

Flowers, flowers everywhere! A large floral backdrop in white and soft pinks add impact without distracting from the edible floral details on several cakes and cakes on display. Mrs A in the Cove also used pink, teal, and white macarons to adorn two cakes, while pale and saturated teal decorated two others.

see more delicious pics here.

Cake, For Like Ever

Your sweet inspiration can come from the simplest places. Perhaps you derive your palette from a popular poster. These two cakes, one a buttercream dream and the other a fondant fantasy, both prominently feature flowers. The pink ombre cake is topped by a more realistic bloom, while the neapolitan-hued cake showcases rosettes.

images by Rachel Peters Photography

Week In Review & Flower Cupcakes

I found these lovely floral cupcakes while I was looking for inspiration online, and I just fell for them. The purple one at the top of the pic looks like a hydrangea, while the pink rose ones remind me of these purple ones from a dessert table I designed last summer.

This week on the Sweet Tooth:

We celebrated Valentine's Day with these M&Ms cookie cups and this clear dessert table.
This modern bohemian dessert table featured a pony at the party.
I hope you all enjoy this gum ball necklace DIY project as much as I did.
Lots of you loved this deck of cupcake recipe cards from Crate & Barrel.

This week on The Sweet Life, I shared these tech-y ways to get your hands on some Girl Scout Cookies.

image 1 via Pinterest, image 2 & 3: Sweet Shibui Photography

SYDT in Nonpareil Magazine!

I'm so excited to share the current issue of Nonpareil Magazine with you. Issue 6 launched last night, and I was asked to contribute a few projects. Why am I so excited about the projects editor Maddy Hague and I created? Because they are so simple and inexpensive that I think you all will really enjoy using them for your events and parties. Photog Emily Steffen really put her talents to work. Her images look great!

The first project is stained glass cookie escort cards. I made these cookies very quickly using a standard sugar cookie dough and punching out the table numbers with number cutters. Melted candies create the stained glass effect.

After placing each cookie in a glassine bag, they were pinned to a color coordinated board. Custom labels finish off the bag.

The next project is another unconventional edible escort card. We found sodas in the same color as our palette and attached custom labels to help guests find their table.

I also created the fabric floral arrangement you saw on the cover!

Be sure to check out the latest issue of Nonpareil Magazine to see these and other unconventional party ideas. You can also print all of the custom labels and get detailed instructions for the projects in each article. Enjoy!

Sweet Floral Centerpiece

Event planner to the stars, Preston Bailey, shared this great floral centerpiece idea yesterday on his blog. Preston created a pretty floral pie for a Williams-Sonoma event.

Simply fill a ceramic pie dish with roses or any other berry-hued flower of your choice. Reds, blues, and plums would look great. If you don't already have one of these dishes, check discount retailers like TJ Maxx. You can also paint the outside of a plain white ceramic pie pan to match a golden crust. Using golden ribbon, create a crisscross pattern to mimic a lattice pie crust.  

Voila! You have an easy, fun centerpiece for your holiday meals.

Dessert Table: Elephants Go Girly (Finally!)

I realized earlier in the year after posting this and this that elephants were increasingly popular for baby boy's showers. Style Me Pretty recently posted this dessert table that proves they are even popular for girl-themed showers.

I love the pattern on the linens and the gorgeous flowers in shades of pink and orange. Powdered donuts, cheesecake bites, and cupcakes make for simple, tasty sweets.

Be sure to check out more photos from the event here.

Images (Gertrude & Mabel Photography)