DIY Project: How to Make a Ribbon Wand

Looking for the ribbon wand tutorial?  It's over at Tikkido.com (we moved the blog).

Kate Middleton Silk Tulle Veil Replica

Kate Middleton's silk tulle veil was absolutely exquisite, and introduced millions to the concept of silk tulle veils.  Most salons don't carry silk tulle at all, because it's a very expensive material (can't have an 8000% markup on silk tulle!) and notoriously hard to work with.  But it's gorgeous--nothing moves and drapes like silk tulle--and we at Tradewind Tiaras think it's worth the effort.  We're one of very few designers in the world who work with silk tulle, and we've been making silk tulle veils for years.

Kate Middleton's Silk Tulle Veil

I just finished up a model shoot showing off our Kate Middleton replica veil, and had to show it off today!

We use only the finest European silk tulle (the domestic silk tulle suppliers' quality didn't come close), and the Kate Middleton Replica veil is edged in Alencon re-embroidered lace.  We don't have the Royal Academy of Embroiderers at our disposal, but gorgeous, high-end Alencon lace comes very, very close!

Just look how gorgeously the silk tulle drapes and flows!

Alencon Lace embroidered trim on a silk tulle cage veil.

Do you want to buy your very own Kate Middleton replica silk tulle veil?  We'd be delighted to make one for you!  It's not on our main website yet (have to wait for my husband/web designer to get home from the JASIG conference), but send us an email and we can step you through exactly what to order to get this look.  

DIY Project: How to Make a Couture Ruffled Pinata

Looking for the ruffled pinata tutorial?  It's moved to its new home at Tikkido.com

DIY Project: How to Make Homemade Candy Buttons

Looking for the tutorial on how to make homemade candy buttons?  It's moved over to Tikkido.com.

Fabulous Product: Daisy Shaped Chocolate Covered Oreo Mold

I'll get back to the butterfly party and tutorials tomorrow, but I just saw these and had to share!

I'm a huge fan of edible favors in general, and I just love this new product from Fancy Flours.  A mold for making daisy-shaped chocolate covered Oreos!

Delicious!  Beautiful!  Easy!  Wouldn't these be a magnificent, easy, inexpensive DIY favor for a wedding or really any party?  A gorgeous addition to any dessert table?  These are so adorable they completely justify the ridiculous number of exclamation points I've used in this post.  I really wish I'd had them for the butterfly party--though I would have had to figure out how to keep them from melting in our heat.

Butterfly Party: Part 3, the Celebration!

Looking for Part 3 of the Butterfly Birthday Party?  It's moved to its new home at Tikkido.com!  Come join us there for all the old content, as well as fun new projects and posts.

Butterfly Party: Part 2, the Dessert Table

Looking for Part 2 of the Butterfly Birthday Party?  It's moved to its new home at Tikkido.com!

Butterfly Party: Part 1, the Details

Looking for the Butterfly birthday party?  This content has moved (along with the rest of the blog) to its new home at Tikkido.com.

Featured on the Amy Atlas Blog! Our Tykki-dyw Butterfly Birthday

I am beyond excited to announce that our latest party debuted today on the Amy Atlas blog!  What an incredible honor this is; Amy Atlas pioneered the dessert table trend, and does absolutely exquisite, inspirational work.

Come back tomorrow for the start of the party posts.  I'll have tons of pictures, and many tutorials from this party.

Strawberry Picnic First Birthday

My youngest daughter, Niamh (say NEEV, it's Irish), is almost two years old!  I'm in the last minute throes of party planning for her bash this Saturday, and realized that I wasn't yet blogging when she had her first birthday last year.  So to build the anticipation for the coming event, I present Niamh's First Birthday--A Strawberry Picnic.

At that age, it's all about the parents, so we viewed the birthday as an excuse to have our friends over and decorate with a cute theme.  I'd decorated Niamh's nursery in a Strawberry Picnic theme, so already had a number of good props to use, like the letters spelling out her name.

I built a wood-fired pizza oven in our backyard (while I was pregnant with Niamh, in fact), so we already had a number of red-checked tablecloths for when we entertain in Italian style.  They were perfect for the picnic theme.

I was especially proud of the cake, and was very happy with how it turned out.

You can hardly even tell that it fell flat on its side while I was trying to take photographs earlier that morning!  

This was actually the second time I've made this cake.  The first time was about six years ago.  I had never decorated a cake before, but my husband was on a business trip, and I saw the most gorgeous calico-fabric-inspired cake on the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings.  I fell in love, and impulsively decided that I was going to make it.  I went to the craft store, bought some tools, and started baking.  

I was so proud of that first cake!  I thought it looked amazing!  And looking back at the pictures now, I cringe.  It was awful.  Really, really awful.  

See?  I told you!  So getting to do this cake design, which I've always loved so much, over again felt like a chance at redemption.  (Photography has obviously also improved over the past few years!)

Favors were homemade strawberry jam (made by me under the guidance of my jam-making friend Liz) and macarons (graciously made by my pastry-chef mother).

I made strawberry bunting out of felt, and tried my hand at floral arranging for the first time.  I used strawberry baskets I bought off eBay for both the favors and the flowers.  They were the perfect touch!

I also made a strawberry-shaped pinata for the kids.  Thankfully, strawberries are pretty much balloon shaped.  A little paint, glitter, and green crepe paper, and we had the perfect pinata.  I should add glitter to all pinatas.  It looked seriously awesome hanging there in the sun.

The weather here in Phoenix can be either gorgeous or wickedly hot in May.  Of course, the weather crested 100 degrees for the party.  I called all our guests, told them to bring bathing suits for the kids, and set up kiddie pools, sprinklers, and water balloons.  

The adults got to sit in the shade with a misting fan--very effective!

Of course we made pizza in our WFO--that's what we always do when we feed a crowd.  The pizzas cook in 90 seconds in that 900 degree oven!

And it wouldn't be a first birthday without a baby covered in cake.

The celebration continued long into the night, well after the birthday girl had been put to bed.  

I can hardly believe she's already turning two!  My entire dining room and kitchen are completely taken over with party prep for this celebration, and I cannot wait to share it with all of you.  

Love Bites, Not Bug Bites

Are you planning an outdoor wedding or party this spring or summer?  If so, how cute is this idea from Sophia Design Shoppe?

Just fill with bug spray and keep your guests comfortable.  How thoughtful! And how much more adorable are these customized bottles than standard bug repellent packaging?