Pedi Party!








Glitta surprised me with the best party idea: a pedi party!  It was so much fun and such a good idea!  It's fun for everyone, give you a chance to relax and easily visit (unlike a movie or something) and it's pretty affordable.  Everyone pays for their own pedicure and the shop usually will let you reserve the space for no additional cost.  Glitta made a delish salad, already dished up into plastic cups with plastic forks, so that it was an easy dinner to have while we sat in our giant massage chairs.  And then her yummy banana cream cupcakes topped things off with a custom cupcake stand.

If you have a sister/mother/friend with a birthday coming up, this is a fun and relatively easy way to make it special!
Linking here:
Sunday:
http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/, http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/
Monday:
http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/, http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/, http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/, http://www.skiptomylou.org/, http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/, http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com/
Tuesday:
http://todayscreativeblog.net/, http://ladybug-blessings.com/, http://tipjunkie.com/, http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/, 
Wednesday:
http://www.paisleypassions.blogspot.com/, http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/, http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/, http://reasonstoskipthehousework.blogspot.com/
Thursday:
http://www.momnivores-dilemma.com/,  http://www.houseofhepworths.com/, http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/
Friday:
http://www.whipperberry.com/, http://www.thegirlcreative.com/,http://tidymom.net/, http://sassysites.blogspot.com/, http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/, http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/, http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/
Saturday:
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com


Pier 1 Imports Giveaway

I’m super excited because today I’m hosting a giveaway! That’s right, I am a woman who keeps my word-well most of the time.  If I ever promised you something before 9:00 am I was probably just telling you what you wanted to hear so I could lay my head down and go back to bed.  The good news is my agreement to host a giveaway once I reached 400 “fans” on Facebook was made in the evening hours; when I was well awake and perfectly capable of playing nicely with other members of society.  Thanks to Chicago’s 105 degree heat index today I’m definitely in a summery mood; as in I’m so hot I seriously wanted to stick my head into the ice box at the local Starbucks this afternoon.  Seeing that this would most definately alarm the barista and constitute a call to the near by mental ward I decided against it....but man it would have felt good. Nelly says it best, "it's hot in herre."  Okay, let me get back on track ………so I’m in a summery mood and with summer comes thoughts of backyard lounging and who better than Pier 1 to help you decorate for the season?

 

If you’re a Facebook friend of Delightfully Noted’s then you’ll already know I’m a little obsessed with this Summer Stripes Drink Dispenser from Pier 1.  Doesn’t it scream fun? Well, I mean it doesn't really scream because that would be creepy but it is quite festive!


and what about this Green Metal Lantern... don’t you just love outdoor ambiance?

So as my way to thank all of you peeps for being so supportive of Delightfully Noted I am giving away one $50 Pier 1 gift card to one special winner!  I know, I know you can thank me later by keeping me in mind when you go shopping and you see that cute striped dispenser on the shelf and you think to yourself “you know who would really like this”? 
So here's the easy ways to enter:
Required Entry

1. Leave a comment on this blog telling me what you would spend the winnings on.  You can leave your message by hitting the comment link below this post.

Additional entries:

2. Become a fan of Delightfully Noted by clicking here. Say "hi" while you are there. If you're a new fan, make sure to come back to this post and comment below that you "liked" the page. If you're an old fan, comment below that you are!

3. Become a "follower" of the Delightfully Noted blog by clicking that "follow" button on the right side of the screen. Leave a comment that you are a new follower!

4. Post this giveaway on your Facebook fan page and get 3 extra entries! Make sure to comment below that you shared the giveaway and leave the link to your page here. Make sure to leave 3 different comments for this entry.

*Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in your comment
*Your comment is your entry so don't forget to leave it!
*Contest open to US residents only
*Winner will be announced here on Monday , June 13th. Entries received after midnight {central time}, June 10th, will be void.  *Winner will be selected by Random.org

Tipsy Tuesday...Fathers Day Treats!!!

This is a looooong Tipsy Tuesday with two types of Father's Day cake pops! Stick with me b/c we've got some cute dessert ideas for your Dad/Stepdad/Husband/Grandfather/animal owner!




These first cake pops are for the GOLF enthsiast! My dad loves anything golf! ANYTHING golf. So he is going to love these. And even though he is on a no carb/no starch/no sugar diet, he is GOING to eat one of these and he'll LIKE IT! ;)
(some people say my dad has a bossy daughter...not sure how that rumor got started???)








Ok so let me show you how to make these cute little trophy cake pops! First, find some trophies. I found mine at the Dollar Tree. I've also seen them at Party City.







Add a little candy melt to the bottom of the trophy, then press some styrofoam in. Then add more candy melts. You want to add the candy melts to hold the styrofoam in place AND to weigh the trophy down. These trophies may be cute, but surprisingly they aren't solid gold...what CAN you buy with a dollar these days!?!?! SHEESH!


After you have poured the chocolate insert 1/2 of a 6 inch lollipop stick in making sure it goes through the styrofoam as well as the chocolate. You might need to add a little more chocolate once the stick is in place b/c some of it seems go down with the lollipop stick. Also, give it a little tap on the counter to even out the chocolate.



And you're done! Isn't it cute?


Just kidding...


Next step is to put it in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to harden....and then its a waiting game. Wait and wait and wait (which I HATE to do) b/c you want that chocolate to be firm.


I passed the time by folding laundry and feeding the little one lunch (big sister is at gymnastics camp this week!).

























OK OK...So I didn't fold the laundry! But I did take a picture of it, and I thought about how great of an idea it was, but then I got distracted.


Instead I took 76 pictures of Olivia being cute, read 5 Mickey Mouse books, did a puzzle, took a phone call and got Olivia busy with her blocks. By the time that was all done the chocolate was ready. I can't be folding laundry if the chocolate is ready!!!!

Now that the waiting game is over, add a little dollop of chocolate on the top of the stick and add your cake ball. Put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.























Time to cover the cake pop!! Melt your candy melts in a bowl with a generous dollop of vegetable shortening. (white needs more than the colored candy melts) The shortening helps to thin the candy melts so they don't come out all clumpy! If it ends up being too thin you can always add more candy melts to thicken it.

See how nice and thin that chocolate is?! BEAUTIFUL!!!























Hold your cake pop over the bowl, use a spoon to pour the chocolate over the ball. Once the cake pop is covered, use white sprinkles to give it a resemblance of a golf ball.
























To make the golf "tee" use a triangle piece of fondant (I know it looks like a piece of cheese, but its not) and work it around the exposed lollipop stick, wide end close to the cake ball, the narrow point towards the bottom.



And VOILA, you have a golf ball, trophy #1 Dad cake pop!
The other cake pops were done using the same method, just covering in different color candy melts and topped off with a simple circle piece of fondant, a white Sixlet candy and a tooth pick w/ a paper flag.






Ok, and if the dad to be isn't so much a golfer, just a good all around hard workin' kinda guy then these next cake pops might be for him!




Once again, Amanda of Shindig Parties to Go has created a printable set for Father's Day! I LOVE this collection! Its FREE and its gorgeous, and full of ways to dress up your house, food, and gifts for dad!

I used the little tie cupcake toppers to dress up my Tie-riffic Fathers Day cake pops! Take a look!





























Wouldn't these little ties be so cute as toppers for dad's pancakes in bed breakfast?! Hot glue or tape them to a lollipop stick or wooden skewer and stick them in his pancakes before you serve them to him for a little added touch of WE LOVE YOU DAD!!!

Oh look! I actually practiced that very same idea this morning AND took pictures...thats funny. ;)


Don't you love Livie with her mustache straw?! ;)























Back to my pops...these are cute too! :)

I created a quick tutorial to show how simple these little tie cake pop toppers are. All you need is a little fondant and a knife!

And how did I make the cake pop stand you ask?

Well, it was very EASY and CHEAP!


Which by the way, I am not. Just thought I'd clear that up. :)


I used a 2 by 4 piece of wood, 15 inches long. I painted it brown, drilled 6 holes in it (drill bit the same size as lollipop sticks) and covered the top with scrapbook paper.


Like I said, EASY and CHEAP!



WHEW! Ok. I'm done! That was a LONG post. Hopefully you stuck with me, didn't get bored and got some inspiration for the man you're celebrating this weekend!

Happy Fathers Day to all the great Dads out there!!!


Where would the world be without good ole dad??