Glitter Mug

 I went to GMT today with things that glittered.  I shared glittered champagne, silver nutcrackers, and this diy glitter mug.  The third craft is usually my filler b/c there is nothing scarier that filling dead air, so...I had to rush this one a bit.  It's a super simple diy project though.  I originally saw one here and was fascinated by the fact that it's dishwasher safe.  I found white mugs at Walmart for 88 cents.  The only other thing you need is glitter (I really like the finer glitter), and decoupage paint and SEALER (I got the glossy seal).  I'm sure they have multiple brands, but I found some at Michael's in the Martha Stewart section and used a coupon.

 Tape off the bottom portion of your mug (including the handle) with painters tape.  Brush on decoupage glue and then sprinkle it.  After it dries, go back and paint over your glitter with more decoupage glue (about 24 hours later).  I actually did this several times (and waited a day between each painting-if you have the luxory of time, do that)-this is the process that makes the glitter adhere so your mug can be washed.  If you can wait 10+ days before you wash it, that's even better

Peel off your tape, fill your mug, go. make friends happy

Coffee: Starbuck's Themed Bridal Shower

 I recently helped host a bridal shower for my pal Amber.  I could not be happier for her and her husband-to-be, Josh.  She has truly found someone great, and she is DEFINITELY deserving of finding someone because she is an incredible lady.  I've been blogging about the details for the last week+, but here it is....all in one, with links attached. 
Above are the invitations.  Sarah obtained some Starbuck's coffee cups, and I filled each with coffee bean shaped sugar cookies, and put the invitation information in a sleeve shape outside. I blogged those details here.
Below is the sign in.  We had everyone sign a matted engagement picture of Amber and Josh outside of Starbucks.  I made a banner using newspaper (which I used throughout....reminds me of 'coffee shops) and raffia....because I'm obsessed.  Close up details here. 

 The hostesses spent the last few months collecting frap. bottles to house these big mums (a flower she will be using at her wedding....I know this b/c I'll be putting those bouquets together....can't wait b/c they photograph well).

 Bean filled candle holders.  Once upon a time you could ask for expired beans from coffee shops, but after asking, we were told they sell so much they never have expired beans.....darn you coffee revolution, darn you.

 We set up a bar along the counter with all the fun coffee fixings (details here), and cupcakes.

I blogged about the chocolate covered sugar cubes/source/directions etc here.

 We included permanent markers for guest to personalize their cups....like every good Batista does.

 I made White Chocolate Mocha cupcakes.  Source and recipe attaching to the link.

 We covered tables with newspaper and burlap, and included the plates/napkins/forks, and a tiered platter (process for building these here) of coffee-ish desserts in the middle of each table.

 Favors were donations to a local charity that hopes to improve the inner cities, I blogged about it here. 

 Amber and the hostesses. 

Can't wait to attend her wedding in a few weeks, take pictures, and share more on my blog on those events and all the fun married life events to come for the happy couple.

You can find my entire album of photos from the shower here.

Coffee: Donations for Favors

 I was trying to think of something different to do for Amber's Shower.  My broken record demands I repeat.....invitations and favors are my favorite part of every shower.  The beginning and the end.  The bookends of every event.  I love doing snack bars, candy bars, and recently a bath salt bar.  Thinking about Amber, I wanted something that reflects her personality, but is memorable.  She's a teacher, marrying a cop.  They both love giving, and serving.  So.....a donation in honor of each guest seemed like the perfect tickets.  Sarah asked Starbuck's for some of their dessert bags, and they complied, and we used these to bag up a card that explained what and where money was being donated in honor of each guest. 
We chose a group called Hisbridgebuilders.  This is run by an incredible man and those he has inspired with his faith and faithfulness to the inner cities-who sees a need, and has a plan to go into the inner cities of large locations like Dallas and help revitalize the neighborhoods and lives of those that live there.  His testimony and the lives of those that have been touched by this organization is incredible.  I could never do it justice, but the link above gives a pretty great description, and the donations will hopefully go a long way in honoring the new Mr. and Mrs. and the friends that love them and were able to attend the shower.

Coffee: Coffee Bar

 Anyone that has spent more than 5 seconds in my company knows that I love talking party details.  Amber and I were chatting right after she got engaged in regards to some ideas for personalizing her wedding.  I had suggested a coffee bar for the favor portion of th evening.  She took it 10 steps further and has some really fun things planned, but I decided to go forward with this idea for her shower as well.  All the hostesses brought coffee snacks you could find at Starbuck's, we put these on the tables, then let everyone move through the bar and fix up their own drinks. 

 The menu included Starbuck's Decaf, Regular, Tea, Water, and Hot Water for Hot Chocolate or Hot Teas.

 The toppings included vanilla, hazelnut, creamer, milk, flavored creamers, various sugars, chocolate dipped sugar cupes, sprinkles, hershey syrup, caramel syrup, whipped cream, chocolate covered peppermint sticks, lemons, and different flavored biscotties.

 We left out pens so the do-it-yourself-wanna-be-barristas could create their own personalized cups.

Coffee: Sign-In Frame

 Amber and Josh's first date was at Starbuck's.  They recently had engagment pictures taken, and they had some really adorable photos snapped outside of a Starbuck's to commemorate this event. 

 The gals and I that were hosting the shower decided to have one of these blown up and framed in a matted frame that everyone can sign.  We added a gift card to the gift for them to enjoy more dates together as they begin married life.  Thanks goes to the groom who willingly sent these photos to us so Amber didn't have too much info before the shower. 
I decorated the table with coffee bean filled candle holders, and frap. bottles with mums (also one of the flowers she will have in her wedding bouquets I'll be making in just a few weeks). 

 I had a coffee bean bag, and newspaper to cover the table. 

The end product. 

Coffee: White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

I saw this recipe a few summers back from insidebrucrew during a cupcake challenge.  There are a lot of Starbuck's cupcakes out there, but I decided to go with this one.  The icing was my very favorite part.  I added a collar to make it look even more like a drink, but pretty much followed the rest of the recipe to a T. 

For the collar, I googled free template for a cupcake holder, printed it, traced it, then added a picture of the Starbucks logo and glued it to the sleeve. 

White Chocolate Mocha Cupcake Recipe

Cupcake Ingredients: 
Mocha Latte Mix (10 teaspoons), 1 c. hot water, White cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/3 c. oil, 1/2 pkt hot choc mix, 2 tsp. espresso powder, 2 tbsp. water
Cupcake Instructions: Mix 1 c. hot water with 10 tsp. International Delight mix. Stir and measure out 1 c. liquid, add to mixing bowl along with  rest of ingredients and mix per the directions on the box. Fill 24 cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 min at 350 degrees. Cool and frost.

White Chocolate Icing Ingredients:
6 oz. white chocolate morsels, 1/4 c. heavy cream, 2 sticks softened (but not melted) butter, 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar (I actually used at least three times this much so it would sit up!), 1 t. vanilla
White Chocolate Icing Instructions:  Stir white choc and whipping cream in pan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly and add butter, sugar, and vanilla and beat on high until light and fluffy. Frost. Drizzle with melted chocolate. 

Coffee: Starbuck's Coffee Shower Invitation

 My friend Amber is getting married.  We hosted a shower for her last week.  Her fiance and her had their first date at Starbucks.  She's going to honor this meeting at her wedding, but we wanted to use this theme for her shower as well.  She is using the phrase, "The Perfect Blend".....so....I tried to go a little different with "Love is Brewing."  My pal, Sarah, bought coffee at Starbucks and was asked, and granted access to cups we could use for the shower, and the invitation delivery.  I used the sleeves to figure out what size the invitation wording needed to be, and I mounted it on some dark green scrapbook paper, then taped it to the cup.  I fill each invitation cup with coffee bean shaped cookies. Heather wrote the names of each guest on the side of the cups like they do at the coffee shop when you order.  A week of details to come! 

 I used this recipe for sugar cookies.  I like it b/c the cookie holds it's shape.  I used a small round cookie cutter, and just pinched the center to make them look more bean shaped.   For the icing, I just used a canned icing, and I added about 4 T of karo syrup b/c it's much softer than the usual white butter/almond flavored icing recipe I use with these cookies.  The karo syrup helps the cookies not smudge when packaged. 

 I melted some milk chocolate in a ziplock, snipped the edge, and piped on the design of a bean. 

 Bagged them up, added some brown crinkle paper to the cups, and then slipped them inside. 

 Ready to be shipped out. 

 Invitation close up.

Linking To:  A Crafty Soiree