Styled Eats

Floral Garland + Welcome Banner DIY

Here is the DIY from the floral garland and banner we made for my housewarming party. It was really fun project to make and has such a big impact for guests walking up to your door. Sometimes in the past I’ve made my own garland (instead of ordering it pre-made) but I’ve learned that most of the time there isn’t that much savings to have someone else do it. It depends what kinds of access you have to a a flower mart. This whole project cost a little over $100 and took about an hour. The sign is fun because we wired it so it can be wavy and scroll-like which gives it a cool look.

Keep reading for full instructions and more photos.

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Clip-on Picnic Utensils

Picnic season is upon us! Here is a clever little packaging trick when you are hosting an event outdoors.  Just glue a small clothespin to a wooden fork (or any utensil) and clip it to your picnic lunch. It is cute and functional. (How awesome would it be to pair these with a DIY S’Mores Kit on a camping trip?!)

Click through for photos and details!

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A Churro con Chocolat Party

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When we were in Spain last year we managed to eat churros con chocolat in just about every city and town we visited. My jeans were fitting tighter by the end of the trip but I was in heaven. I loved them so much that in Madrid we even stopped to buy a Churro Maker so we could try to make them at home. I had forgotten about it until I was reorganizing my kitchen and I found it again! Turns out they sell Churro Makers on Amazon so there is no need to head to Spain to get one (unless you want to!) Ps: my friend Andrea says she just makes them with a pastry bag and a giant frosting tip. I am planning on having a Churros con Chocolat party soon but it was fun to put together this treat with my team.  Have you ever made Churros with Chocolate? It was surprisingly easy. See below for the churro and and the dark chocolate recipe.

Find the churro recipe right here and the dipping sauce is here:

Thick Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce

• 1 3.5 oz Ghiradelli Dark chocolate bar
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup half and half

Break chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Heat half and half in microwave or on stovetop until steaming.

Starting with 1/4 cup, pour hot half and half over chocolate. Let stand for a minute or two to allow chocolate to soften. Whisk with a fork until chocolate is incorporated and smooth.  Add additional half and half a little at a time to reach thick consistency.

Serve warm with churros.

Photography by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day
Art Direction by Jordan Ferney
Recipes by Andrea Pimental
Coordinated by Stacy Wichelhaus
Crafting by Caitlin Barker
Assisted by Harper Casimiro

Cookie Spoons DIY

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My friend Andrea came up with these wonderful pot de creme and cookie spoons for our Craft Night and we asked here to share how she did it. She developed a special recipe for this so that the cookie would stay crisp and would actually be functional when you dipped it in your pot de creme but would also taste delicious. Find all the directions below.

Materials Needed: 1 Batch of Andrea’s Special Gingersnap Recipe, Parchment paper, Rolling Pin, Spoon Cookie Cutter,

Step 1: Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is very thin, about 1/16″ thick. Then place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until chilled.
Step 2: Using the spoon cookie cutter cut out the gingersnap dough and remove excess. Transfer to a baking sheet making sure the spoons are chilled and flat.
Step 3: Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should be crisp not bendy.

Andrea packaged the Pot de Creme in Weck Jars and then served envelopes of cookies spoons in clear cupcake boxes with the napkins folded at the bottom.

All photos by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day.

Donut Tree

I first saw a donut tree at my friend’s Halloween party almost 10 years ago (hi Emily!) But I think it works great for a party any time of the year. It is a simple concept but makes a really great surprise or visual when you are having an outdoor party. Am I the only one that would like to live in a world where donuts grow on trees? Right before the party starts tie a bunch of donuts to a tree at varying heights (depending on the heights of your guests.)  We pre-tied ours in the box so set up went extra quick. You can either make it a “bobbing for donuts” type game where guests can’t use their hands or it can be just a funny way to serve donuts. And now, on to the pictures of backlit donuts.

Photos by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day