hope everyone had a great 4th of july yesterday! we threw a little bbq get together at our place to celebrate and i got to try out 2 new recipes.
grilled pizzas and pb&j cupcakes…
the grilled pizzas were inspired by this recipe here.
and the pb&j cupcakes were inspired by 2 recipes found here & here.
besides workin’, it’s also been been a…
weekend bbqin’…
outdoor hikin’…
smoothie makin’…
salad makin’…
hat wearin’…
summer drinkin’…
new recipe tryin’…
workin’ out…
outdoor music listenin’…
…summer kind of days.
i’m so glad it’s only june, ’cause that means there is still more summer days ahead of us.
hope you’re enjoying your summer days so far…
a quote by Barry Neil Kaufman:
“Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts of finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there’s always something we could be grateful for.”
as i turn thirty-two today, i am filled with so much gratitude…
grateful for all my amazing friends and incredible family that remind me not just today, but everyday, how truly blessed i really am.
a few things that made today extra special…
i recently had the honor of helping plan my cousin joan’s 40th birthday party. when an italian party was decided on, i immediately knew the theme would be “la dolce vita,” which translates to “the sweet life” in italian. what a perfect way to celebrate a birthday milestone, with a night full of all the sweetest things in life… food, drinks, music, and an intimate party with your closest friends and family.
from classy invitations by in a card to set the theme and tone of the evening…
to a complimenting and really “sweet” party favor…
each party favor, by in a card, had a little thank you note tucked inside and was sealed with a picture of joan when she was a little girl to remind everyone that she is “fabulous at every age!”
for decorations, i arranged fresh flowers and candles throughout the house
freshly picked from the downtown L.A. flower mart that morning, with the help of joan’s husband, jonathan, who is also by the way the person responsible for throwing this fabulous party to honor his wife
5 different wines plus italian cream sodas to wet the palette while enjoying caprese salad, chicken parmigiana, lasagna and garlic bread from a wonderful local deli, claro’s italian market
and what party wouldn’t be complete without dots cupcakes (served with a side of cannoli of course, from claro’s)
it was a wonderful party enjoyed by all and hopefully a very memorable one for the, always fabulous, birthday girl.
especially dots cupcakes!
love the decor, love the packaging, love the cupcakes!!!
and all right here in pasadena, ca. stop by and have a taste if you’re ever in the area or better yet, plan a trip out this way and make sure this is one of your stops.
i picked up these four today as a special treat for my cousins who just welcomed their twin baby boys. (top: red velvet, chocolate lovers’ bottom: carrot, strawberry shortcake)