4 - oh celebration [a birthday brunch]

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

i hardly ever celebrate my birthday in a big way but i guess turning 40 warrants a small party with a few close friends. i thought of having a fun casual brunch and since i'm still in big denial, i made it informal and laid back. like i was only turning 28. ha!

i first saw Kelly's (of WH Hostess and the party dress) missoni-inspired collection while browsing on her site last year and that set the tone of the party. this past november, i enlisted her to create our holiday card and she came up with an incredible semi-custom Thanksgiving card which i was really happy about since i was disappointed with our son's Christmas portraits then. we finally decided to go with the Thanksgiving photo cards instead and i was glad it worked out great! but i digress....

 i LOVE all of Kelly's modern patterns incorporated in all her party packages and papergoods collections. this missoni-inspired pattern is perfect for the Mexican brunch venue and i was inspired by it. i even created a mood board for the occasion, seen here. i love the vibrant colors of orange, yellows and lime green mixed with cobalt blue which are mainly the restaurant's colors as well. she printed invites, wraparound address labels, menu cards and tin can labels with this pattern. it all came together beautifully and i decorated the long tables with flowers i arranged in matching custom paperwrapped vases, also created by Kelly. i think they came out lovely!

  

 

 
we feasted on assorted huevos and other breakfast delicacies served the mexican way. my favorite was the their version of french toast called caballeros pobres served with fruits. the french toast's edges were crunchy and the rest of the bread were sweet and creamy and melts in your mouth. dessert selection were churros with dulce de leche filling served with chocolate ice cream, mango sorbet and the birthday cake.

a birthday gift from my dear friend Rae (whose wedding i featured here), the gorgeous cake flavors were buttercream with raspberry filling and chocolate with dulce de leche filling (cake was baked by Rae's talented friend Irma). note that it had the same missoni-pattern fondant on it and they were so yummy!

guests party favors were boxed dulce de leche flavored french macarons and tin cans each filled with my favorite nail polish, Lollia mini soap and shea butter hand creme. those tin cans are so versatile ~ they can be filled with bubble bottles for kids parties or girly accessories/stuff for a grown-up soiree!




last saturday was such a perfect day with the sun out and mild temperatures.
 it was a pretty day to celebrate with my best gal pals and i was happy they spent it with me.

turning 40 is not bad at all. if this is what 40 feels like, then i'll take it. 


{party sources}

venue : HUGO's
party paper accessories and tin can party favors : WH Hostess 
french macarons : Greeneyed Susan
plastic clear boxes : Garnish
"happy birthday" stickers on clear boxes : Paper Source
flowers : Krogers
cakestand : Homegoods
doilies macaron liners and rock candy : Michaels
photography : my bestfriend's hubby and dear friend Loven. thank you!

birthday weekend

Sunday, January 23, 2011


it was a beautiful saturday.  
perfect to be with friends sipping mimosas and celebrating my birthday.

i'm afraid turning 40 would be traumatic. we'll see. my actual birthday is this wednesday.

i will post more pictures then.

{photo by my bestfriend joy's dear hubby loven}

friday faves [sweet bakers]

Saturday, January 22, 2011

i'm lucky to be amidst some of the most talented and awesome bakers, gourmet chefs and caterers that are a phone call and deliver away to complete off your party!

i was in for a treat today when i received a batch of the most talked about cake balls and cake pops from angie's cake. they are super moist and very delicious and comes in a variety of flavors. perfect as party favors, holiday giveaways and a great addition to your party's dessert table, the cake ball colors and decorations can be fully customized. visit angie's cake on facebook to browse over tons of cakeball pictures all decorated and displayed or head to her site to pick out a favorite flavor! 

french macarons are my ultimate favorite desserts to eat and serve and i'm just glad to have found susan who can whip up macarons in any flavor or color you can imagine. greeneyed susan macarons are heaven in every bite and i can't get enough of them. they have crispy chewy shell with mouthwatering cream filling that's just very delectable. good news to those that are not in the Houston area, greeneyed susan can now ship to you! also, check out her feature on pam's party starters this week!

HAPPY WEEKEND Y'ALL!



valentine's day [dessert tables]

Monday, January 17, 2011

in a few weeks, valentine's day is here. whether you are planning to host a couples valentine's soiree with your friends or opt for a quiet romantic dinner at home or at a nice restaurant with your significant loved one, these delectable gorgeous dessert tables will get you in that mood come feb. 14th! 




the tomkat studio


holy sweet

what are your plans for valentine's day?


fun unique invites [party planning]

Saturday, January 15, 2011

our little guy's birthday is not till a few more months but i have been dreaming up themes, colors, party favors and of course, invitations to start the whole thing going! 

last year, i have posted a few amazing ideas for your next party's invites and here's a few more inspirations : 


boxed invite filled with jellybeans for a lego-themed party. so cute!
 {via}

 

christi of p is for party had this great idea of sending invites via mailing tubes 
filled with confetti and party blower
{image source}


i love this boat invitation with inflatable balloon perfect
for a nautical or sailing-themed party
 {via}


sooo unique and charming, wraparound invites along with
handkerchief invitation maps (aka handkermap).
see how the process was done here 


lovely fabric pocket invitation. i can imagine this could be an easy DIY

{source}


and lastly, lemonheads-filled boxed invite for a baby shower from oh happy day. i love it! 

stylish blogger award & friday faves

Thursday, January 13, 2011

it has been an exciting week here in S:C:F as our little blog received a few recognitions from some of my favorite blogs! i am humbled and honored for this nomination and i hope to continue to live up to this award, being a stylish blogger!



a BIG THANK YOU to the following blogs and their authors for the nomination. i share this award with you guys (*me holding up my little oscar statue*)  :

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J and J home
 
 
now here comes the fun part where i get to share 7 random facts about me and my life :
 

  • i was almost named "Constituta" by my parents in honor of my dear uncle greg (RIP) who was named one of the delegates to the Philippine Consitution Convention in the 70s (Lili sounds way better, dont you think?)
  • i have been married to my dear hubby for 10 yrs last september. little guy aston joined us in our 7th year together
  • i grew up in a loving family (5 kids - 3 girls and 2 boys) with a teacher mom and a banker dad. growing up, i have fond memories of our long drives to the beach on saturdays (and stopping by the local farmers market on our drive home) back in the Philippines
  • some of my odd jobs in the past before becoming a registered nurse ~ a) "hand" model for TV commercials/ads; b) flight attendant in the 90s
  • as a registered nurse ~ i had worked as a pediatric clinic nurse, hospice nurse, home health nurse, nurse at a nursing home/rehab hosp and a lymphoma cancer research nurse
  • as a little girl ~ i was an avid collector of stamps, stationary, sanrio, sweet dreams pocketbooks (do you guys remember those? maybe not. revealing my age much? yes). i was a tomboy too who loves to ride the skateboard and motorcross bike (i would steal my little brother's bike) and who almost made it to the girls high school varsity basketball team 
  • i was only 96 lbs in college (i wish i can turn back time)

I now award this STYLISH BLOGGER AWARD to the following blogs i follow and admire *drum roll please* (they are my FRIDAY FAVES today too)
 
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
 
CABBY CRAFTER
 
HANGING WITH THE HEWITTS
 
PURE JOY EVENTS
 
BON VIVANT CONTESSA
 
MOMMY AMOUR
 
DESIGNER BAGS AND DIAPERS
 
PLAIN AND FANCY LIVING
 
PAMPERS, PLAYDATES AND PARTIES
 
THE WEEKEND GOURMET
 
KRISTEN ELLIS DESIGN
 
i hope i didn't bore you with some of my life details but seriously, this is awesome. blogging was just a personal journal for me which stemmed from when i was prepping for our son's birthday party last year. i am happy to say that it has grown more than what i expected it to be and i'm happy that i'm just able to share this experience with you.
 
HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL!
 
 

french-themed party [first birthday]

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

i first spotted these amazing party photos via michelle and ellie and thought i'd share them with you as i find this party lovely and charming! 

it's a french-themed birthday party for darcie's daughter noelle who turned one. the fun birthday party boasts of  a mime (who also did balloons) and a corner french bakery set-up. as an accomplished baker and cake decorator of pink peach cakes, darcie whipped up some of the most adorable birthday cakes (this party has three cakes!). i also simply love the sweet decor elements such as the white and yellow paper awning, wall art frames for coloring reminiscent of an art gallery and the charming bistro feel of the party venue!









{all photos by the talented heather of coterie}

what's NOT to love? 

take a hike [nature party at the arboretum]

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Yesterday we had a great time at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center for a birthday party. The air was crisp and the sunshine was refreshing. It was a  perfect day for a nature trail walk which we all enjoyed!


The kids get to join in the scavenger hunt observing for 
paw prints, trees, furry friends, slithering creatures and more! 



 
Aston with the party's hike leader and friends
Olivia undeniably enjoyed her cupcake
Someone's having so much fun! 

We all had our morning exercise with a good amount 
of hiking on that beautiful day! 

friday faves

Friday, January 7, 2011

just for fun, i've created two inspiration boards to set your party mood whether you're ready for a fresh bright spring forward or you're still wanting the luxurious warmth of the winter whites. 

depends which part of the globe you are, these will hopefully inspire you to jump start a few projects you may have for the new year!

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{photo sources here, here, here and here}

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{images via here, here and here}




enjoy the weekend everyone!

pleats and more [bridal gowns]

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

i spotted these non-traditional weddings gowns and i love that the hues are anything but white. the masterful creation of pleating is spectacular and dreamy. these are beautiful and perfect for when you say "i do". who says you have to absolutely wear white on your big day?





{photos from METRO weddings magazine Philippines via Jewelmer}