Happy Birthday Sweet 16 Party...

This week my sweet Hunter turns 16,  but she celebrated this past Saturday with her best girlfriends with a dinner out and a surprise party afterwards back at our house.

It all started with a text from 3 of her best girlfriends in July telling me how they would like to throw her a dinner  and have a surprise party after at our house.

I was so thrilled that her friends wanted to do something so special for her... I was right on board to help in anyway I could! I offered to pay for the dinner of course, and all the girls had to do was plan the party and invite the guests.

I set about coming up with a few ideas for how  I could 'take' a party to a restaurant and sprinkle about some quick & easy decorations that would make the birthday dinner special.

I decided to make a little centerpiece with fresh flowers.

I found the white lace bucket at Ikea and then I spied these amazingly beautiful pink gerbera daisies at the local grocery store.

I used 5 stems of  gerbera daisies and filled in the rest with small white mums and some greenery to make a small arrangement.

I made the '16' pick with scrapbook stickers and cardstock and then attached it to a bamboo skewer to pop into the flowers.

Here's everything that I took to the restaurant...

Pink lemonade cupcakes from the local cupcake shoppe....my Hunter's favourite.

 I put together some little treat bags using these adorable pink polka dot bags from Greenmunch. {You can find them here.}

I tucked inside the bags some teenage girl things: lip gloss, tissues, little lipstick mirrors for their purses, candy bracelets and some other candy treats.

I stamped this lovely Helen Keller quote on white cardstock to make tags to tie on the bags.

I also brought along some fun silver beads for all the girls and a crown for the birthday girl, some after dinner mints for the table and some fun stripey straws for the pink lemonade I ordered to be brought to the table.

The decorations were just enough to make a regular restaurant booth feel special and festive for a sweet 16 party.

The birthday girl and her friends had so much fun!

It turned out to be a wonderful evening.

My daughter is so incredibly lucky to have such amazing girlfriends to shower her with so much love and thoughtfulness.

Girlfriends are the essensce of life, aren't they?

The best & most beautiful things

Beautiful Things

cannot be seen or even touched

Touched

they must be felt with the

Heart

~Helen Keller

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2012/08/the-sunday-showcase-party-no-116.html

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/

http://www.tipjunkie.com/all-crafts/handmade-projects/homemade-projects-9-11/

 

Lunchbox Treats: Sweet Peaches & Cream Muffins...

You know a recipe is good when you have to hide the results before you go to bed in order to have a few to photograph for the blog the next day.

Yup.

Such was the case with this recipe.

It all started when I found these dreamy & juicy peaches from British Columbia at the farmer's market.

I found myself craving a peachy muffin.

As I was sifting through an old community cookbook, I found this recipe with fresh peaches and diced cream cheese....it caught my fancy.

I whipped up a batch and it rocked my peachy dreams.
The muffins were moist & tasty with fresh peaches and  bursts of cream cheese...yummy!

And you know it's a good muffin when the 3 kids in the house devour them right away without even asking, "Mom, what's in these?" {hence the need for hiding a sample for the blog.}

 Sweet Peaches & Cream Muffins

Ingredients:
3/ 4 cup rolled oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups diced fresh peaches {or canned}
1/2 brick of cream cheese, diced
Sugar for sprinkling on tops of muffins {I used turbinado sugar}

Directions:

Add to a large bowl: rolled oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & cinnamon. Stir. Cut in butter until crumbly. In small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Pour over dry ingredients. Add peaches and cream cheese. Stir gently until combined. Scoop into greased muffin tins {or use muffin liners}.

Sprinkle tops of muffins with sugar. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops are firm to touch. Cool in pan for a few minutes and then turn out.

Then serve. Or hide.

And just in case you had any doubts about how yummy they might be....have a looksy inside for yourself to see the peaches and cream cheese looking all sweet & delicious.

Enjoy my friends!

This post is linked to these parties:

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/

http://www.tipjunkie.com/all-crafts/handmade-projects/homemade-projects-9-11/