Love is... {GOLDEN}

Re-posted from Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats

{ I am Sooooo Excited...for Audrey... She popped in...a while back...and we gathered all sorts of Treasures...from The Rabbit Hole...for her Photo Shoot...in the Green House...for a Contest she was entering...
 SHE WON!!! SHE WON!!!
{No big surprise... Audrey... is Amazing... as Beautiful...Inside...as Out...
always has been... I watched her grow up.. She has...always... had...
The Love...of Old... and has been all "Heart and Soulful"...
her entire life...she is...Gifted...
She decided...after her second child was born, to leave her job...and follow her Heart...
Stay at Home...with her two...Darling Children...and Nephew...{her Sis...Kristi...is like my Second Daughter...she, and Daughter Liz...went with me...to Antique Shows...since they were 8 years old... The other Dealers...watched them grow up...and commented...on what Hard Workers they were...I was Soooo Blessed...to have these...Young Women...in my Life..}
Audrey...has built a second... Wonderful Kitchen...{all Vintage... : ) }just for Sweet Cheeks...and Creates...Everything...from Home...  with a Passion!
Wow... Tho...it may have been a risky move...to some...It wasn't to me... I knew...whatever she put her Heart into...Audrey...would Make Happen!!!
She came with...to Heart of Country...several years ago... doing photography...for me...
One...of her...many Talents! {Audrey...has an Artists..Soul...}
 I Love...watching her 'Gears Turn'...as she meanders...through...the Rabbit Hole...
I so enjoyed...'Playing'... with her... and her... Tasty Treats.... the other day...
 The Rabbit Hole... and I ... were Honored... to have her come...visit....
I asked her to re post her Blog..on mine... so..you could enjoy... The Beauty...of her talents...{and...her...Treats... Taste...even Better...than they Look!!! }
Be sure and visit her...often... she comes up...with some Amazing...Over the Top...Ideas!
Below... is Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats Blog Post...from the Contest Shoot...Enjoy!
Love to ya...
Barb C. }

For those of you who don't know, I live in Iowa. I love my home state and wouldn't move away for anything...but...I gotta say...things can get a little dreary in the winter months. All the COLD, snow, being shut-in, the lack of "green" when I look out my front window...not very cheery. I needed something to perk me up :)

Luckily one of my fellow party gals had something up her fabulous sleeve! The UBER creative Genevieve of Superchickland threw down a super FUN  Valentine's Day Kandy Kone Styling Challenge....and I knew I wanted IN!

Each of the 8 participants had to come up with a dessert table theme and color scheme...and then Genevieve created 6 of her AHhhhhmazing CUSTOM Kandy Kones and sent them our way.

In Genevieve's own words:

The Challenge Deets!

1 ~ Challengers were asked to INCLUDE 6 custom Kandy Kones in a VDay themed display!

2 ~ They were asked to FILL their kones creatively!

  3~ And MOST IMPORTANTLY, they were asked to STYLE their kones in a unique, imaginative, trend setting way!

 

The judges!
Bird from Bird’s Parties, Courtney from Pizzazerie, Genevieve from Superchickland

My theme: Love is {GOLDEN}
I wanted to work with a palette of pale pink and gold! I knew I'd be incorporating lots of vintage goodness...but honestly...I let this display flow pretty naturally.

I asked my talented friend Barb Conner, of Cross Creek Antiques in Fairfax {Simply Iowa}, if I could set-up in the front greenhouse of her shop. Barb has the MOST amazing antique shop EVER...I've spent a LOT of time there (I grew up directly across the street!) I venture down often when I'm in party planning mode...for inspiration...and to find the perfect party props :)

It was a chilly afternoon to be setting an outdoor display...about 13 degrees I think...but the sun was shining so that was a definite bonus! Barb did laps with me through her shop...pulling pieces to work into the dessert table...it was SO fun just watching things come together!

I've been working with some new Cake Pop decorating techniques, and this gave me the perfect reason to play with them some more! I made some with a golden "marbled" effect that really stood out.

These are my Pink Sparkle Pops! They were seriously shimmering in the sunlight...I couldn't even capture all that beauty in the photograph...these pops DAZZLE!

I almost always add some semi-homemade treats to my dessert displays. It's a nice way to add some variety to the table, without the stress of creating everything from-scratch. For this particular table, I added gold-tone food coloring spray to decorate some store-bought meringues and heart-shaped marshmallows. Easy Peazy!

I also added some small ivy topiaries throughout the scene for a little pop of color...and life!

Vintage lace...nothing sweeter.

No Valentine's Day table would be complete without Conversation Hearts! I love reading these things...some of them seriously crack me UP (clearly...it doesn't take much!)

 

I also want to thank my friend Kristi of Luella B. Photography and Design for working a little editing magic! I take my own party photos...but I'm by NO means a professional. Example...in the full dessert table shot you could see my silver 4Runner parked outside in part of the background - LOL! Kristi made my car magically disappear...for which I'm BEYOND grateful...it was one of those DUH moments when I got home and was looking through images. Lordy...I really am close to losin' it some days!

I hope you enjoy my submission! It was really fun to put together...and gave me a chance to play around in my kitchen...which I rarely pass up :)

~Audrey

Sources:
Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats  Display Styling, Desserts and Photography
Super Chick Studios Custom Kandy Kones
Simply Iowa  Vintage props, event location
Green Party Goods Striped paper straws (Cake Pop "sticks")