History themed graduation party

This event was personally constructed and detailed for a "History" high school graduate.  I wanted it to really scream his love of history.  He had a handful of favorite presidents and we used the era of those presidents and famous quotes by them to guide our design.  Final reveal was excitement to say the least by our clients.  Pepperlilyevents  had so much fun creating this really unique party.  We love personalizing each event to the special occasion and making it unique to the individual.  Thanks Branden for having us be part of something so special.  Congrats to you!

           Berlin Wall back drop for dessert table, Regan Era.

JFK era, first man in the moon.

               Vietnam paratroopers

         Candy filled library card boxes

                Declaration of Independence

Center pieces

         A shout out to the Graduate!  Dessert

Tree of Memories from years past

  Mobiles of kamikazes and solider filled skies from above the guest tables.

         Mood lighting

Mason jar infatuation

Upcycled a spaghetti jar- glue gunned love on jar-- painted it high gloss black and put potted flowers and voila!

Sew kit

Mason jar love.  Took your essential sewing materials; needles, thread, scissors, safety pins and pins and threw them in jar and added a burlap lid for pin cushion and Tada....... Great grad gift for going off to college.

Vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookies

Loving this recipe!  5 ingredients and Paleo and gluten free.  Will share recipe soon.

DIY knot bracelets

Polymer clay rolled, cooked and painted.  Spray paint not drying as fast as I would have liked.  But beautiful just the same

Canning Craze

Nectarines-- I can remember as far back as 8 or 9 years old, climbing my grandmothers tree and collecting barrels of them.  Grabbing one with both hands and taking a bite, as the juice ran down my chin and neck.  Then my mother taking them home and we would cut and cut and cut for hours in the hot summer. We complained all day.  When winter came,  she would pull out those canned jars that we complained so heavily about and eating them not only tasted good but would bring back those days of summer.  So here I am canning the same fruit that brought me so much joy.

Recipe

3 cups of sugar 

12 cups of water

Bring to a boil and then simmer

Add

15lbs of nectarines cut in slices

Lemon sprinkled and mixed to keep from browning before adding to syrup.

Add nectarines and being to boil and them shut off and lg ladle 4 scoops into each 1qt sterilized jars. Should fill 8-9 jars.  

Put lids on, tighten lightly and cover and boil for 25 mins.  Let cool and store in cool spot

Banana Curd

Very versatile--Peanut butter sandwiches, piece of toast in the morning or over ice cream.  I'm in love!

Enchanted Forest baby shower

October 20, 2012

        I really enjoyed creating this Enchanted Forest Event.  I was not only challenged to create this Event with a $700 budget but it was going to be filmed by a Producer friend of mine.  Had to start with Budget.  One of the biggest challenges as a budget event planner and creative culinary artist. (cant say Chef,  no training to earn that title) is the Budget.   Keeping in mind of budget, wanted to create a feel of Enchantment that would be visual on film.  I then decided that the Decor would to take most of the budget.  I am a do it all yourselfer. (DIAY, an old  acronym for me, haha  ).  I created the menu to be plentiful but cost efficient to create the ambiance of a Forest.  My team and I, created trees out of butcher paper on the patio poles and stretched out paper to resemble branches and added tree branches with leaves the day of.  We then hung butterflies, birds and flowers with fishing line to give the illusion that they were flying.   Centerpieces are always important to me, the most visual to all guests ,as they sit in front of it, most of the event.  Had to be amazing, but couldn't be a visual impairment to guests view across the table. We decided Manzanilla trees with butterflies and little enchanted forest creatures with living ferns and vines.  We added the crystals that I had from another event, to up the level.  I also added Willow wreaths to the ceiling as chandeliers, for a more cozy feel.   In Southern California, fall starting around mid October, created a nice fall backdrop to the event.  

Menu-- Challenge #2--It had to be awe dropping, but had to keep the budget in mind.  I had 32 guests, and wanted to give them the royal treatment.  We decided on a Chocolate and Coffee menu.   I wanted it to be 3 courses.  Therefore,  we went with a entree, followed by three courses of chocolate tasters.  Everything had to have chocolate in the ingredients.   

Our Menu; had to be created and printed for all the guests to see and anticipate it.  We decided to use sliced tree trunks to attach and sit on tables instead of the picture framed menus we have used in the past.  

Started with Javatinis, (halfnhalf , espresso and chocolate powder, topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean, shook in a martini shaker and served in martini glass/ 

Strawberry, chocolate basalmic dressing Salad accompanied by Quinoa Cakes

Flan spoon shots, Oreo Cookie cheesecakes martini shot glasses, strawberry on top of dark chocolate drizzle.

Followed by Banana, peanut butter egg rolls served with chocolate shots & red velvet w/cream cheese frosting served in asian spoons topped off with whip cream and white chocolate shavings.

Gifts for guests;  Salted Carmel poison apples dipped in White chocolate of course, served in her majesties pewter-like (plastic sprayed with a flat and shiny finish-$700 budget remember) with some spanish moss and we were almost complete.

Needless to say, the guests were in sugar and caffeine comas.  Happy nonetheless.  

Manzanilla Tree centerpiece --High Tea Menu

Guest tables

Red velvet and cream cheese cake shots served after lunch

Banana and Peanut butter Egg Rolls with a shot of Chocolate for the dipping

The expected fair maiden with her Cousin

A triple chocolate bundt was specially made for the expecting Fair maiden

Lunch- A Strawberry chocolate basalmic dressed salad with savory Quinoa cakes in a spicy aioli

Gifts from the fair maiden; A Salted carmel dipped in white chocolate , in a pewter crown for the taking 

The fair maidens--Enchanted Table seating chart

Javatini served in Martini glasses made to order as Guests arrive

Diaper Raffle Table

Dessert is served
Carmel Flan spoon shots--Oreo cheesecake in mini martini--Strawberry on chocolate

An Enchanted ceiling chandilier over the table