POP

*POP is the sound of me breaking open the champagne. Obviously.

Celebrating a lot of things already... :)

Happy Friday my loves...I will be back with another post later today.

A true gem in Coral Gables - ABUC BOUTIQUE

A few months ago I discovered a great place to shop for great clothes, at first I did not want to share it since it was like my little secret but then I realized that it is too good to keep it from everyone since everybody deserves to look great and best of all be able to afford it! Ok, here we go....are you ready? Grab a paper and pencil, your iPhone, iPad or whatever it is that you use to keep a permanent record of something important and write down this address

300 Aragon Avenue #120 in beautiful Coral Gables, Florida-

You cannot miss the amazing array of casual and dressy clothes these girls have....yes I almost forgot, the owners are two amazing gals, Mindy and Patty, who happen to have great taste plus they do this “girls night out” thing once in a while with wine, cheese and hors d’oeuvres and best of 
all....everyone is invited!

Don’t miss it, next time you are out shopping spare the mall and the department store owned by a corporation with no face and no taste, and get a personal treatment at Abuc Boutique.... you won’t regret it and your bank account will be grateful!

xox

"Fun-Due" (Cheese Fondue Recipe)

• Fondue is a perfect fun dinner,  I just love the cheese, baguette and wine combination.... 
• What makes fondue so special?  Imagine cheese basking over your favorite breads, crisp green apples and more. This  cheese fondue is made with Gruyere Cheese and Swiss cheese, white wine, garlic, and more. 
• 
  
• 1/2 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cherry brandy, such as kirsch
• Pinch nutmeg
• Assorted dippers

Directions

In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard.

Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy

This is worth every calorie and one of my favorite romantic meals to share with a special someone

E is for Elephant {Baby Shower Party}

I designed this baby shower for a very special couple Enrique and Pili as the hostess Cecilia, asked me for help. Pili  chose The Elephant  theme which I think its a fun and vibrant combination. The color scheme was orange and blue. I incorporated a lot of elephants with those colors in mind.

Guests arrived to a fabulous terrace  with the beautiful ocean view.

We incorporated several tables to the event.

The cheese table, 

and I am in love with these little mice around the cheeses... it gave the extra pizzazz to the table, don't you agree?

The dessert table, I planned to provide an array of miniature desserts so the guest could sample several sweets. 

Cupcakes were topped with charming fondant toppers that IPS Sweet Project made especially for the event, 

Also custom sugar cookies were put in a whimsical  swing and It was the main attraction on this  table. 

The presents table and of course one for the food and drinks

The activities:

We planned to play a game about who's who… but the weather didn't cooperate. Was too windy but delightful and we played the other games and had so much fun.

A fun banner that said “hello baby!” and a elephant paint made by Edgardo Lopez was added to the back drop for color.

The favors:

Guests were given a sweet mini cotton muslin bag custom printed with coordinating elephant tags with of course more elephants. The bags were filled with several  baiochi cookies.

The floral arrangements on the cheese table were designed in mason jars and twine and a matching orange ribbon. 

I also designed the menus and I put on top of each one of them an elephant cookie.

The games were convenient and functional. They were individually handed to each guestand included a match blue wooden pencil to complete the “baby quiz”  also we played other games… drink your bottle and eat your food.. It was so much fun… and wishes for the 
baby

.

All-in-all it was a wonderful baby shower and everyone had a lovely time celebrating with Pili and Enrique. 

Thanks to  the hostess of the party, Cecilia, and a huge thank you to my friends Moises, Edgar and Maria Beatriz for all your help! And a special thanks to my husband for the AMAZING pictures.

Credits:
Photography: Maurizio Oronzo
Designs: IPS Studio and Bump Smitten
Sweets: IPS Sweet Project
Painting: Edgardo Lopez
Flowers: Moises Brador

Hello 2012!!!

Happy New Year 


Looking forward to loads of adventures with you! I hope you have big plans for this year and that all of your wishes and resolutions come true!




Dont forget to:


Be brave. Be smart. Be healthy. Be creative.  Be cuddly. Be safe. Be a good friend.  Be tasty. Be surprising. Be good but must important BE YOURSELF!!




And to all of you, have an awesome 2012! Thank you for coming back time and time again. It's awesome to see this little place grow and that people actually want to read this stuff. Happy, happy 2012

And for a good start and a little help if you have left over champagne... here is a recipe that I love... Champagne Marshmallows... and they are Gluten Free:


You will need for the ingredients:

Yield: 50 1-inch squares

Ingredients

• 3 Envelopes gelatin
• ½ Cup chilled Champagne
• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 Cup corn syrup
• ¼ Cup Champagne
• ¼ Cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon gluten free vanilla extract
• 1 Bag confectioners sugar

Directions

Set up a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or vegetable oil.

Pour chilled Champagne into the bowl of a standing mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over it to soften and bloom for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, the rest of the Champagne, and water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches 240 degrees F and the soft ball stage. Remove from heat.

Drizzle the syrup down the inside of the mixer bowl slowly into the gelatin, Mix at high speed until fluffy and stiff -- 10-12 minutes. Add the salt and vanilla and fold into the mixture. Pour into the pan and smooth it with an oiled spatula. Then let it sit uncovered at room temperature overnight.

Remove marshmallows from the pan by turning it over onto a cutting board or counter dusted with confectioners sugar. Dust the other side with powdered sugar.

Using a clean pizza cutter, cut the rectangle into 1 inch equal squares and dip each into powdered sugar and shake off excess. Or put confectioners sugar into the bottom of a large ziplock bag and sake several marshmallows in it at once.

You can also dip these marshmallows into colored sugars, candy sprinkles, white or toasted coconut, and other condiments.

Marshmallows can be stored for several weeks in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freeze

Credits:
www.marthastewartweddings.com

New Year's Eve Party Ideas

It's almost time for the ball to drop...do you have your decorations yet? Some quick ideas just  before New Year's Eve and we all are getting ready for the big celebration.. 

Countdown Toast: Have some fun with the countdown toast! Add numbers to the glasses, then have each person lift their glass when their number is chanted.

 Create a fabulous decoration for your bar area! 

A beautiful table setting

and most important have fun and celebrate the life that you have, the blessings and the good things to come...

Credits:

www.marthastewart.com

www.potterybarn.com

ipseventplanners Studio