Jun 19

Flavored Lemonade: 3 Ways

When I decided to throw a First Day of Summer party, I called my genius friend Andrea to help us come up with 3 different infused Lemonades.  She always throws together lemonde effortlessly for big groups and I wanted to know her tricks. She made Ginger Lemonade, Watermelon Mint Lemonade, and Blueberry Lavender Lemonade. All three were incredible. Today, I’m excited for her to share her tips and tricks in her own words: (ps: the drink dispensers are from CB2.)

Lemonades are my favorite for serving at big parties and events because the water can added at the last minute, making it easier to transport and refrigerate with limited space. Much better than lugging around heavy sodas! Just make the syrup ahead, add everything but the water, and store until ready to add water. Juicing enough lemons for a crowd take a lot of lemons, and can be expensive and labor intensive. So I often start with juicing a few lemons for the fresh-squeezed taste, then fill in the rest of the juice with a good quality bottled lemon juice. Try swapping out other herbs or aromatics in the syrup stage, such as rosemary or a vanilla bean. Also try adding other pureed fruit at the end, such as strawberries or kiwi.

Materials and instructions below the jump.

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Posted by jordan on Jun 19, 2013
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Jun 18

First Day of Summer Party

I can’t believe the first day of summer is this Friday! To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to throw a special party – complete with themed invitations, colorful decorations, infused lemonade, mix and match popsicles, and fun gift bags. All week, I’ll be sharing the DIYs for each of these elements so that you can throw a similar summertime soiree. When it came to decorating the food table, we kept things simple: a few expandable honeycombs and a striped green tablecloth set the mood. (PS – My favorite summertime party treat.)

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Posted by jordan on Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 18

Havasupai

This post is brought to you by The New Santa Fe from Hyundai.

Last weekend we had an epic trip to Havasupai at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I wanted to share some of our pictures today. If you’ve never heard of it is this really special canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation where there are the most amazing sets of waterfalls with beautiful crystal blue water. It is a green and lush oasis in the middle of a hot and dry desert. It is one of the places where it actually lives up to the amazing pictures you see. I have been before but not since I was a teenager and I couldn’t remember a lot of the logistics for getting down there. Originally we had planned to go for a longer time and bring our kids but at the last minute we opted for a shorter trip and left the kids home with a babysitter. I’m glad we did only because I’ll be able to plan the trip where we bring kids a little better. The most amazing thing about Havasupai is…     (click through for full post.)

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Posted by jordan on Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 17

Mix and Match Popsicles

This summer inspiration is brought to you by Target. Find more fun and surprises all season long on Target’s #SummerUp Pinterest board. http://pinterest.com/target/summerup

On warm summer evenings, there’s nothing more perfect than a popsicle. We like to sit on our front stoop and eat them while we people watch. So it seemed obvious to include them in a First Day of Summer party. My friend Andrea came up with a great “Mix ‘N Match” idea. She makes 5 or 6 different popsicle flavors, then layers them in the popsicle mold before freezing. That way, each popsicle is a little different – and each guest can pick one that fits their own tastes.

Click through for instructions.

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Posted by jordan on Jun 17, 2013
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Jun 14

Favorite Party Ideas This Week

1. I love these hanging paper diamonds on 100 Layer Cake.
2. Say Yes to Hoboken‘s adorable fruit wands are perfect for the 4th of July.
3. Pretty paper flower monogram cake toppers by DesignSponge.
4. The House That Lars Built‘s creative gift wrapping for Dad.
5.  Awesome paper lamps by BoligLiv (via Decor8.)

Posted by jordan on Jun 14, 2013
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