Inspire The bride

Free Download: Fabulous Jam Wedding Favor Labels

InspiredGal — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:00:00 -0700

I stumbled upon these adorable Jam Labels over at Intimate Weddings (labels made by Brittany of Pink Peackock Paperie) and had to share with you Summer Brides... These Jam Labels would be so fabulous for a summer backyard Wedding Favor for your gifts to take home with them on your Big Day!

Click to DOWNLOAD

Sweet Bridal Shower Goodness in Pretty Pinks!

InspiredGal — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0800

Photo Inspiration:
photo credit: Laura Moss

Sweet Recipe Inspirations:

Strawberry Cream-Filled Sandwich Cookies
Source: Curtosy of Country Living
Photo By: Alexandra Grablewski
Yields: 18 Cookies
Total Time: 1hr 20min (20min prep time)

Ingredients:
•    1 cup(s) thawed frozen strawberries
•    2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, divided
•    1 teaspoon(s) lemon juice
•    2 ounce(s) cream cheese, softened
•    1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened
•    36 shortbread rounds

Directions:
1.) Puree strawberries in blender. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk pureed strawberries, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice until thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2.) In medium bowl, combine cream cheese & butter. Stir in remaining confectioners sugar. Stir in strawberry mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hr.
3.) Place 1 scant tablespoon strawberry cream each on 18 shortbread rounds. Top each with another round. Chill until ready to serve.

Pretty In Pink Strawberry Cupcakes
Recipe By: Quick and Simple
Photo By: Erik Rank
Yields: 22 to 24 cupcakes
Total Time: 2hr (prep time: 15min, cook time: 25min)
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients:
•    1 package(s) (18 1/4-oz.) cake mix, plain white or yellow
•    1 package(s) (3-oz.) strawberry gelatin
•    1 cup(s) (finely chopped fresh) strawberries, with juice (from 1 1/2 cups whole berries)
•    3/4 cup(s) milk
•    3/4 cup(s) vegetable oil
•    4 large eggs

Frosting Recipe:
•    1 package(s) (8-oz.) cream cheese, reduced-fat, at room temperature
•    4 tablespoon(s) (1/2 stick) butter, unsalted, at room temperature
•    3 cup(s) (up to 3 1/2 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
•    1/2 cup(s) (fresh ) strawberries, mashed and drained (3/4 cup hulled berries)
•    sprinkles, pink and white, for garnish (optional)
•    24 slice(s) strawberry, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
2. Combine the cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides again if needed. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove empty liners, if any.) Place pans side by side in the oven.
3. Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and spring back when pressed gently with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, place pans on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to wire racks to cool for another 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar and the mashed strawberries. Mix on low speed until incorporated, 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and blend until frosting is fluffy, 30 to 45 seconds longer, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to get a spreadable consistency.
5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with back of spoon. Refrigerate, uncovered, until frosting sets, 20 minutes. Decorate with sprinkles and strawberry slices, if desired.

Style Inspiration:

So® floral hair clip/pin $10.00$6.00 at Kohl's
Add instant glamour to your ensemble with this hair clip/pin.

Eliza J Beaded Sheath Dress
$118.00 by Eliza J at Nordstrom

DIY: Free Wedding Favor Bag Template

InspiredGal — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:29:08 -0800

Hello to my dedicated Brides... I have a sweet treat for you today :)
As I know many of you get so excited over free DIY Template Downloads, here is one for you to enjoy! I have made a few different versions of Custom Wedding Favor Bags for you to Download and print. Hope you enjoy them~

Click to DOWNLOAD BAG TEMPLATE

What you will need:
- A Printer that feeds from the top
- Thin Paper Bags (for mine I used size: 4 5/8w x 8 5/8h in. bags from Michael's that are by "Celebrate It")

Instructions:
- Place the paper bag in the printer with the bottom of the bag facing upward
- The bags frontside should be facing you
- Make sure you create a custom paper size (should match same size as bag listed above) before you press print

Cookie Recipe's for Wedding Favors

InspiredGal — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0800

Image & Recipe Credit: Delish + Martha Stewart

Oatmeal Applesauce Cookie Ingredients
Recipe Yields: abt 2 1/2 dozen cookies Oven Temp: 350 degrees
* 4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, melted
* 1 cup(s) (packed) light-brown sugar
* 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup(s) chunky-style applesauce
* 1 1/2 cup(s) old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarse salt
* 1 cup(s) golden raisins

Icing Ingredients
* 1 3/4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
* 3 tablespoon(s) pure maple syrup
* 3 tablespoon(s) water

Directions
1. Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add egg and applesauce, mix until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in raisins.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper; let cool completely.

3. Make icing: Whisk confectioners' sugar, syrup, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Drizzle over cookies, let set.

Recipe Credit: By Jacques Torres + Food & Wine + Delish
Image Credit: Quentin Bacon

Cherry Nut Mudslide Cookie Ingredients
Yields: 5 dozen cookies Total Time: 1 hr 45 min
* 1/2 cup(s) hazelnuts
* 2 pound(s) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 6 ounce(s) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup(s) flour
* 2 tablespoon(s) flour
* 2 3/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
* 1 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
* 6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2 1/4 cup(s) sugar
* 5 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup(s) salted pistachios, chopped
* 1/2 cup(s) chopped dried cherries

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the hazelnuts in a pie plate for 12 minutes, until the skins blister. Transfer to a towel and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.

2. In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 1 pound of the bittersweet chocolate with all of the unsweetened chocolate. Let cool completely.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar until sandy. Beat in the eggs, then beat in the melted chocolate. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Fold in the pistachios, cherries, hazelnuts, and the remaining bittersweet chocolate.

4. For each cookie, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll into a ball; space them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in batches for 15 minutes, just until the tops are lightly cracked; shift the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking. Transfer the sheets to racks to cool slightly, then transfer the cookies to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Inspiration Board: Winter Black & Green

InspiredGal — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:00:00 -0800

Invitation by: Smock Letterpress

Winter Green and Black

Ornate Feather Hair Clip $10 - Forever 21

Diane von Furstenberg Opal Wedge Platforms $295 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Basile Ombre Fringed Wool-Cashmere Pashmina Shawl $78 - Forzieri

ABS Strapless Butterfly Dress $285 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Here is a great way to incorporate modern style and warmth on your winter wedding day! Allow your Bridesmaids to be dressed in beautiful glamour accessorized with a warm Green Pashmina Shawl, Black Modern Wedge Heels, and a Green Hair Accessory or pice of jewelry if you prefer (please one or the other to be subtle). Also a great touch is to have Pashmina Shawls as Wedding Favors at the ceremony - Having them rolled up with a ribbon and a personalized tag that says "Enjoy: Compliments of the Bride & Groom" or something in that nature is a great touch to help your guests stay warm throughout the entire evening and also leaving them with a sweet parting gift! Custom Invitations and matching Table Menu's also add an elegant touch to tie in all your details~

DIY: Free Printable Matchbook Notepad Favors

InspiredGal — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0800

I'm a huge fan of the blog CreatureComforts, created by the oh so talented Ez (pronounced Ee-zee). She created this awesome Wedding Template of FREE printable matchbook notepad favors and I wanted to share her amazing work with you bargain brides out there looking for a great DIY project to do (boy are they cute)! Click to Download free matchbook_notepads.pdf

Blog Love: DIY How to make a Chic Ruffled Umbrella for Winter Weddings

InspiredGal — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

We found these more pricy finds & also great inspiration for the project:Ruffled Umbrellas Above - From Bella Umbrella $82 - $99

Came across a fabulous and inspiring DIY idea from Disney of Ruffles & Stuff, who recently posted how to transform an old tall umbrella into a cute ruffled one - all on a dollar store budget! Check out this great idea and HowTo for your upcoming fall or winter wedding, enjoy! (Inspiration above and $1.00 DIY version below)

"Materials:

Boring old umbrella (on hand)
Dollar Store shower curtain liner $1
An old button

Cost Estimate: $1

1) First you want to measure all the way around the bottom of your umbrella, and double it for how much curtain liner you will need (plus extra for a flower, and top ruffles). For example, my umbrella was 120″ around, and I cut four 2″ sections that were the full length of the curtain, for a total of about 280 inches. No need to add seam allowance because it doesn’t unravel! Yay!

2) Then sew a straight stitch (on your machine’s longest stitch length) down the middle of all the strips, and pull the bottom thread to gently gather.

3) Hand stitch them onto your umbrella, wherever you like! So easy!!"

DIY: Vintage Soda Shop

InspiredGal — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Weddings now days are becoming so much more creative... Having a Vintage Soda Shop is a great and unique way to entertain your guests in a memorable way! Take your guests back in time to the good ol' days when soda pop was served in glass bottles and savored ;) I recommend sticking with your color scheme and making that color pop (with soda pop). Here are some items you will need: Glass Bottled Soda Pop (Coca Cola, Pepsi, IZZE, etc), Beverage Tubs (filled with ice to chill your bottles), Bottle Openers, Colored Straws (stick with one color or multi-colored stripped straws), and a beautiful table display (some fun ways are to have a colored or patterend table cloth, or even using a cute cart to make a soda station). Check out the inspiring images and let the Fun Pop!

IZZE Soda Shop

DIY: How to make potted moss favors

InspiredGal — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

"We love using moss for lots of reasons, but we love it most because of it's modern shape and feel. If you are willing to get your hands a little dirty this do-it-yourself project is budget friendly and averages out to under $2/each. Let's get started.

Supplies + Sources:
Mini Terra Cotta pots $1/each Home Depot
Tray of Irish Moss $12/ for a tray of 25 Home Depot
Metallic Spray Paint $5 Home Depot
Ribbon (optional) $3/spool Paper Source

Step1: Paint it Shiny - Lay out some scrap paper outside and spray the Terra Cotta pots following the directions on the can of spray paint. Then turn the pots over and spray the second side until it is all silver.

Step 2: Get your Hands Dirty - Separate a section of the moss and shape the soil with your hands so it fits in the pot. You want the moss to have a round shape, add or remove soil until it is at the right height.

Step 3: Clean Up - Tuck the edges of the Moss into the pot so it has the round shape and no soil is showing. Brush any dirt off the top of the moss and wipe off any soil from the pot with a rag.

Step 4: Make it Pretty - Add a ribbon and if desired attach a little sign or name tag to a toothpick.

These little pots of moss could be used in several different aspects of your wedding -- as a door favor, as a place card on banquet tables or as an escort card!

To make the "Thank You for Coming" flags:
1. Print out the template onto cardstock
2. Color flags with a marker if desired
3. Cut out flags and attach them to the toothpick with glue"
SOURCE: Project Wedding

DIY: How to make Macaron Wedding Favors

InspiredGal — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

"These bright and sweet little Parisian cookies are the perfect favor for an elegant affair. You can have them made in any flavor or color to match your event and then package them using our easy instructions.

Source List:

1. Small favor boxes, 2" square from PaperMart ($20 for 200 boxes)
2. Sturdy Paper Punch - Here we used this Cosmos Punch from Martha Stewart Crafts ($10)
3. Macarons - You can try to make your own or purchase some from your local French bakery. Prices will vary but it will be somewhere around $1.50 per cookie.
4. Ribbon from PaperMart (25 yards for $1.40)

Instructions:

Step One: Using the Cosmos Punch, make a hole in the front of the box.
Step Two: Assemble box and place macarons inside.
Step Three: Tie with a ribbon and voila -- one sweet favor!"
-SOURCE-