Over the Top Studios: November 2010

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November 28, 2010

Pinkabella Goes Over the Top

I have a super sweet friend named Margo who owns a couple of cupcake shops in Washington called

She sells over 40 varieties of cupcakes in her little pink and white shop and they are all amazing. Recently, she opened a temporary store in our local Mall in a very high traffic area and she needed some assistance with her two big 10’ by 4’ window displays. Margo has sold my party hats and wands for over a year in both her shops so she called me asking for some help. After brainstorming we came up with a couple of ideas.

A wedding scene done in black, white and pink. My sweet husband painted these huge paper mache letters for me in high gloss black and I think they came out great. The chair is from my daughters room. Thanks Sarah! and the large wedding print is my cousins son, Jeffrey and his beautiful wife Megan. The photographer was my husband Tim.

My Celebrate Topper looks amazing atop all of Margo’s delicious cupcakes.

More toppers.

I used damask wrapping paper to make a simple table runner.

The little hanging chandelier came from my bedroom and I made the giant black and white poms out of tissue paper. We had three days to get this display planned and put together – during a snowstorm no less.

We decided on a party theme for the other window.

Cupcake and birthdays just go together.

I made a special Pinkabella banner for the scene.

I also made special brown and pink party hats with custom blowers and banners for the scene.

Each setting had a wand…

and a cupcake with a little glittery banner.

Making sure everything is just perfect. The sweet little girl in the photo is Mia, Margo’s daughter.

The pink lampshade chandelier is from my craft room. Like I said, we had only a few days to get this together so I had to use what I had to pull it together. Literally, we were slammed with a snowstorm the day we were supposed to set up and had to cancel last minute. Luckily Tim, my husband, lent us a hand. We couldn’t have done it without him.

Margo and I made a great team and will be pairing up again for the Seattle Wedding Show in January. If your in the Redmond or Bellevue area make sure to stop in and sample one of the many different cupcakes Margo makes. They are so very good.

That’s what I have been up to lately as well as adding a few more items to my ETSY shop for Christmas.

By the way – Many of you have received SPAM email from me over the last couple weeks. I am so sorry. I thought I took care of this nuisance last week but, lo and behold, I found more tonight. I have taken even more precautions; if this doesn’t work I will have to take drastic measures. In the meantime don’t open anything suspicious from me.

I am NOT selling Viagra.

Amada

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November 11, 2010

It’s beginning to look A Lot Like Christmas

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at

Over the Top Studios

Santa’s workshop consists of lots of glitter, glue and Christmas Holly.

Little Swans a Swimming in tinsel.

Frogs and Piggies and Puddin for everyome.

Last but not least “Mr. Mint” from my Candy Land Days.

Santa’s elves have been working overtime to fill all the orders. Check out Candy Land for yourself here.

Dare I say “Merry Christmas”

Amada

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November 07, 2010

Supper Club with Julia Child

For the last few years I have been sharing images with you of my Supper Club. This small group plays a huge part in my life. We are all kindred spirits who thoroughly enjoy everything about the culinary experience. The best meals I have ever eaten, bar none, have been prepared by this group and Saturday night was no exception. Tim and I were hosting and our theme for the evenings meal was

Mastering the Art of French Cooking ; Celebrating the Life of Julia Child

It all begins with setting the perfect ambiance for my guests. I chose a very shabby chic French decor. My guest were greeted by the evenings menu blown up, framed and elegantly displayed on my distressed white easel. I also wrote “ enter welcomed guests “ in French on my chalkboard.

Simple but elegant touches set the mood, like fresh lavender, and vintage silver.

I ordered a bolt of burlap online for $1.80 yd. and white broadcloth. I used it everywhere. Even with the shipping it was a deal. I used it to make my own placemats. Shown here.

They came out fabulous and later this month I hope to put the instructions and links to the products I used online. Here they are on the table which I decorated in the same shabby French style.

One of my guests favorite things were these limited addition Evian bottles I picked up last year while in Northern California. They are laced in white and were perfect on the table.

I tried to use silver wherever I could, including the bar.

On the menu were some of Julia’s favorite dishes, some were from the cookbook, others not.

Tim and I made a few things but we started with

Coquilles St. Jaques

And of course matching wine.

Tim and Cindy followed with Soupe d L’ oignin

Ollie always seems to mooch something off the table.

Tim had the perfect wine for our onion soup.

Tim and I (there are two Tim’s in our supper club) were up again and we decided to serve Julia’s signature

Bouef a la Bourguignonne

It literally dropped us to our knees it was so good.

There wasn’t a drop left by the time we were finished.

Next up on the menu was THE dish that Julia had with her husband Paul when they first arrived in Paris. It is made famous by the movie and her book “My Life in France”. It literally leaves her speechless and her husband Paul nodding to her saying only “I know…I know…”

Sole Meuniere

Prepared lovingly by Jeannie and Lynn

It was literally SO GOOD Cindy swooned! Ha Ha!

Is there any room for dessert? Yes! Of course. On the menu was Julia’s favorite

Reine de Saba (Chocolate Almond Cake) .

Prepared by Taylor and Mary Lu.

It was easy to see why this was Julia’s favorite dessert and although Mary Lu confessed it was difficult to make, it was totally worth the extra work.

It was Taylor’s birthday as well. We celebrated with a the traditional Happy Birthday and…

A vintage 1959 Bordeaux from the year Taylor was born.

I prepared French Macaroons, the recipe which I shared with you l few weeks ago. They rounded out the dessert table along with espresso.

I would whole heartedly recommend this theme for any dinner party. There are so many fun things you can do to personalize it.

I printed up badges that said “Ecole des Gourmandes” on canvas paper and they really did look like patches. Everyone got one and proudly wore them all night. I also took all the recipes and put them together and made my own little cookbook for each of the guests along with a handmade chicken wire basket with monogrammed coffee cups from Anthropologie for each couple. I made a Monogrammed kitchen towel for each couple as well using t-shirt transfer paper and vintage artwork we photo shopped. I love setting the theme of an event so I rented DVD’s of The French Chef from Netflix and played them throughout the evening. I also downloaded French themed music like Edith Piaf and the soundtrack of “Something’s Got to Give” and played that as guests arrived and while we were eating dinner.

What an amazing evening. At the end of the night we decided to take a group shot on the stairs to commemorate the the event.

I can’t believe it is over but we are already talking about our next get together. We are so blessed to have our little group. So, as Julia would say….