Butterbeer and a farewell to Harry

The time is upon us.

Us geeks, that is.

The last Harry Potter movie comes out tonight.

I will not be among the madness, but I will toast to the finale!

With a frosty glass of butterbeer!

It's not actually beer, but it has butter, so it's gotta be good.

I searched the Internet for ideas and recipes and found a few that looked promising.

They just HAD to be good, they were from 'real' wizards.....

Yeeeeaaaah.

Anyhoo, I combined two that looked the best, but it's hard trying to make something taste real, that doesn't really exist.

I gave it my best shot and was really happy with the results!

Here's what you need to make my version of Butterbeer: 

(4 servings)

1 2L bottle of clear cream soda (I used Fanta, the only clear one I could find)
3/4 cup of whipping cream
1 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of water
6 tablespoons of butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon of Rum extract
2 ounces of butter ripple schnapps, you can omit this if you want to serve to kids
2 tablespoons of icing sugar


1.  Combine brown sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat, and let dissolve and heat to 240 degrees.
2. Add 1/2 cup of cream and cubed butter & stir. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
3. Once at room temp, add rum extract and Schnapps.
4. Put in fridge and let cool, as long as possible, I did mine over night, but I did a test batch after an hour in the fridge and it was great!
5. In a separate bowl, add remaining 1/4 cup of cream, icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of cram soda. Whisk until frothy, but not whipped.
6. In each of the 4 chilled mugs or glasses, pour 1/4 cup of chilled brown sugar mixture, then 1/4 cup of cream soda, and stir until blended well.
7. Pour more cream soda into each cup until it's an inch left.
8. Top with frothy cream mixture.
9. Serve immediately to Harry Potter fans, trust me no one else will get it.

I have to say that it was kind of difficult trying to make something taste like something you've only ever tasted in your imagination.

Did that sound mildly crazy?

Maybe a little.

I think it came out just as I'd imagined it would taste like.

Creamy, sugary, salty, fizzy and kind of nutty too. 

Delicious!

Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell.  ~Jean Paul Richter

Thank You Cards

I totally dropped the ball at Christmas time with Venice's pre-school teachers.

We came to the little concert the kids were putting on and I watched all these parents come with gift bags and boxes.

I was baffled.

I didn't get the memo for the gift exchange.

Then I saw it.

The hand off to Ms. Jackie.

Then to Miss Lisa.

Aw crap.

Pretty sure I was the only one with out a thank you gift to the teachers.

The teachers that are shaping the mind of my oldest child.

So when summer was coming I was ready.

Thanks to Pinterest, who sent me to  Skip to my Lou who had the girls from eighteen25 as guest bloggers.

I did exactly as they said, I inserted our family name at the bottom, printed them off, pasted onto green cardstock and glue gunned the coffee sleeves I'd been saving for just that moment.

Ripped over to Starbucks, got the gift cards, insert into the coffee sleeve pockets & gave them over to the Teach.

I win.

You can get the more detailed steps to making these over at Skip to my Lou.

I think these would work as a thank you card for anything, not just teacher appreciation.

I might just start doing nice things for people just to get one of these ;)

Get Your Sparkle On! A Fashion Fairytale Birthday for Venice!

What a whirl wind spring and early summer!

I can, with mixed emotions, announce that I am done party planning for the summer.

Just the summer people.

I'm not giving up, just taking a break.

So for my party finale, I present my little peanut's 4th birthday party.

Barbie in Paris or a Fashion Fairytale, based on a movie that came out last fall.

 Some floral inspiration from my backyard.

Unfortunately, they didn't last for the party.

*sniff*

 Doesn't mean they're not still dead in the vase.

On my table.

 Good Morning birthday girl!!

 Barbie snuck out of Mattel to dropped by and see Venice.

Unfortunately she was sleeping, but I told her it was OK to leave a message, balloons and a little gift.

Barbie's SO nice!

(wink)

Wand and sticker/coloring book from 'Barbie'.

I love the excitement in her eyes!

GG stopped by and dropped off a couple of presents in the morning.

Bride Venice.

Hair, Check!

Dress, Check!

Glitter spray, Check!

Sassy pose, Check!

Worried dad, Check.

Treat bag, with Barbie chocolate coins, bubble gum pop-rocks & glitter stickers.

Each girl got to take home a strawberry cupcake with chocolate mousse filling, topped with a vanilla bean buttercream.

The dress up rack and accessory trunk were a huge hit!

Food table!

The fashion Flairies, yes Flair-ies, dropped off some treats.

Shine brought white chocolate Eiffel Tower suckers with lustre dust.

 Shimmer brought white chocolate dipped strawberries with hot pink sugar sprinkles and disco dust.

Glimmer made some mini strawberry pop tarts.

I ate 6.

Out of 10.

Mom's got to take home a 6 pack of glitter and instructions for doing quick (and cheap) glitter pedicures with their daughters!

Pink lemonade with drink sparkles!

I had kept Venice out of the basement for about a week, this was her first time seeing it all decorated.

Isn't this one priceless?!

Strawberry cake on top of chocolate with marshmallow fondant, pink sugar diamonds, and edible sugar paper wrapping.

With an oversized Eiffel tower candle...in case you missed that.

Intensely watching Barbie reunite with ken...Oh brother.

Trying to blow out the sparkler!

Lifting + me = baaaaad photo

 See?

 Let's blow that thing out!!

Venice and her friend Isabelle from preschool.

BFF Lexie!

Cousin Olivia was SO cute!

 Getting ready for gift opening!

 Lexie, just lovin' that ring pop!

Hair cutting Barbie from Auntie Jen and Uncle Travis was a big hit!

Adding four pink feathers let me re-use the ostrich feather centerpiece from the Glam party, SA-WEET!

 Wardrobe change!

Glittered party hats, that no one wanted to wear.

Mental note: Don't stay up till 11:30 glittering hats no one will wear.

Is it just me or does she look tired?

And my little bug who almost slept through the entire party!

Venice was spoiled by her friends and family! 

Thanks to all her little friends from school and her closest family friends that came out to celebrate with us.

So far, her most used gifts are her scooter and her BFF crown necklace that she got from Lexie.

I should also mention that my memory card filled up before I could get a post-party shot of the theatre room.

WOW!!

There was more popcorn than carpet.

It was worth every kernel.

Love you Peanut!!

Finally!!! Hollywood Glam Birthday!!

 You just don't even know how excited I am right now!

I can hardly type.

After a looooong wait, and a brief memory card/unreadable file/aneurysm moment, I can now present to you some fabulous pictures from my fabulous 1940's Hollywood Glam Birthday party!

Enjoy!

From the left, Val, Gail, Jody, Heather, Barb, Me, Jenna, Jen, Emily, Christie, Stacey, Jen, Kelsey, Ang, Steph

All my dames, looking glam!

Feature cocktail.

Welcome drinks to the first to arrive.

Bubbly! With drink sparkles of course!

My hair, with vintage brooch.

Every guest got to autograph their own star for the wall of fame!

From the left, Stacey, Kelsey, Christie, Me, Emily with our stars.

Where's Ben when you need him?! We were all ready to stamp our hands in cement!

Black and white cupcakes, with nutella whipped cream filling, chocolate hazelnut buttercream, sprayed with edible gold paint and a dusting of gold disco dust.

Which I will do a post for, I promise!

I had printed up ballots with 6 categories for the costume contest.

Best dressed, best hair, best hat, best makeup, sexiest outfit, and most authentic.

Prizes were an old fashioned note book, vintage style half aprons and a gold, multi-chained and jewelled necklace.

Tiramisu mousse on chocolate spoons, thanks Mom!

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts, SO good! Thanks to my sis Christie for the recipe!

Behind us is the Marquee sign that Ben and I made together.

And by together I mean I dreamed it up, sketched a pic, order the lights and handed it all over.

We make a great team!

There 4 dozen roses spread out in clusters to add to the drama of the night.

Thanks to my mama.

We had two little stars at the party. My cousin Jen with her baby boy, Samuel and my sister-in-law Stephanie, with her baby girl, Amelia!

Both were SO good!

Jen had her moms wedding gloves! I love authentic vintage.

A beautiful shot of my beautiful mom, who was voted best dressed for the night!

I just love this shot! 

Kelsey looks like an Audrey Hepburn!

Barb and my mom, sittin' pretty at the bar.

Kelsey and Stacey made faux cigarette holders from chopsticks, paint, white out and glitter.

They looked so real!

Cheers!

Jen with her mom Gail (left) and MIL Val (right).

I just loved these gold chandeliers! They changed the whole look of the basement. For less than $5 a piece!

Blow pop jelly shots, from JSTK. Love her!

Red carpet pose!

Party in full swing, and a shot of the caviar canapes and the shrimp cocktail appetizer that the waitress' passed around on silver platters.

Bartender/photographer/best big brother in the world, Caleb, with my girl Jenna!

Work it girls!!

Meatball lovers Unite!

Ang, Christie, Emily, Kelsey, Me and Stac trying to look all 1940's and serious.

 Just had to be done in B&W for the full effect.

Each guest got to go with SWAG bags of course! 

It wouldn't be Hollywood with out one right?!

Each bag came with a bath bomb, Rose scented and full of glitter. A Mac eyeshadow or pigment, a Dior or Mac Lipgloss and a pair of vintage clip on earrings.

Steph and Ang, who had great dresses!

 Steph's was her grandmas and Ang's was a vintage reproduction from a vintage website.

Both look gorgeous, sporting the red lips!

To say that the night was amazing just doesn't even come close to describing how I felt about it!

I couldn't believe how much thought and effort everyone put into their outfits and accessories!

Everyone was dressed to the nines and played the part. 

We all got to be red carpet, silver screen stars for a night and it was just an unforgettable night!

A huge thanks to my big brother who was such a great sport! He took all the pictures, bartended, dishwashed and just added another great element to the night.

A big thank you to all my Dame's who came and celebrated and went all out!

You ladies made my day!

(sniff)