basil pesto, mozzarella, tomato panini.

these are andrew's 3 favorite things. i think he could live off them. whenever i make caprese salad, caprese bites, and now these delicious sandwiches, i'm guaranteed to hear about it all day long. we had them for lunch today and i can't tell you how many times he's asked when we can have them again. tomorrow, my love. tomorrow.

creative idea #12: Basil Pesto, Mozzarella, Tomato Panini
idea sparked by:http://foodgawker.com 
part 1: 

• pesto-

• ingredients:

1. 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2. 2 cloves garlic
3. 1/4 cup pine nuts 
4. 2/3 cup EVOO
5. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• directions

1. combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped. 
2. add oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

part 2:

• panini-
• ingredients
1. pesto
2. crusty french loaf, cut into 8 slices {we had different bread on hand}
3. tomatoes {we had grape on hand, but large tomatoes would work great too!}
4. fresh mozzarella
5. EVOO for brushing
• directions:
1. spread pesto over all slices {i only used half the amount of pesto in the pics because we didn't have enough basil. next time we're going all the way.}

      2. slice tomatoes and mozzarella. arrange on bread.

3. Place on george forman, panini press, or in a pan with a heavy pan on top to weigh bread down.

        4. brush top with EVOO. squish.

        

        5. eat this wonderful sandwich and leave your husband asking when you can have this goodness again.

Basil Pesto, Mozzarella, Tomato Panini

pesto:

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts 
• 2/3 cup EVOO
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• directions

1. combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped. 
2. add oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4 paninis:

• pesto
• crusty french loaf, cut into 8 slices 
• tomatoes 
• fresh mozzarella
• EVOO for brushing
• directions:
1. spread pesto over all slices {i only used half the amount of pesto in the pics because we didn't have enough basil. next time we're going all the way.}
2. slice tomatoes and mozzarella. arrange on bread.
3. Place on george forman, panini press, or in a pan with a heavy pan on top to weigh bread down.
4. brush top with EVOO. squish.
5. eat.

love and happy husbands,

amber.

cake stands.

this isn't a very exciting post, in my opinion. this project is so easy it's silly, but i love it so much i can't help but post it. 

i've seen these tutorials here and there on pinterest and am blow away by how quick and cheap it is to make a one-of-a-kind cake stand {that are way better than store bought ones}

creative idea #11: diy cake stand
idea sparked by: www.centsationalgirl.com

tools:

•  plate {one per stand. i chose plastic because this was for a kid party. i found it for a quarter at goodwill}
• glass or candle stick {one per stand. also, check goodwill - i got these for $2ish}
• hot glue gun
• drop cloth
• spray paint
• something to cover top of plate when in use {spray paint is not food safe, but there are so many cute things you could do to coordinate with your theme. i chose doilies for emery's girly party, but check out the pics at the end of the post for more ideas!}

directions:

• clean surface of plate and glass/candle stick, let dry.
• measure center of plate, on back side {this isn't my perfectionist self coming out, you really need to do this. i didn't and ended up with a few lopsided cakes stands that looked...interesting.}
• hot glue candle stick or glass to middle of back side of plate

• lay trash bag flat and arrange cake stand to be painted

• follow painting, dry time, recoating directions of paint can

• before displaying food, make sure to spruce it up and keep it food safe by placing something decorative on the plate.

i chose a doily.

martha stewart draped ribbon over hers...

pinterest user Jennifer Pappadouplos used scrapbook paper.

i thought ombre or multicolored layers of tissue paper would look fabulous! Or a bandana, vintage scarf, etc. the possibilities are endless! what are your ideas??

love and easy decor,
amber.

polka dot garland.

well, let's have a little recap on my week, shall we? 

1. i lost my phone {still haven't found it}, 
2. our computer filled completely up and i had no room to upload or edit pics {hence the failed attempt at birthday week on the blog}, 
3. i celebrated my first mother's day and emery's first birthday {which went absolutely perfect, other than the insane wind. i couldn't use 80% of my decorations, therefore i have no elaborate party pics to post like i had planned. that's what i get for hosting an outdoor party. oh and it was freezing cold.}
4. my aunt is in town for 2 weeks from california. 

at least my list is half good. to add to the positive side, i'm typing all this from our new computer. glory hallelujah! 

so, let's pretend like it's only a day or two from the last post and i'm prepping for a party that's going to go smoothly...

creative idea #9: polka dot garland.
idea sparked by:http://hiphiphoorayblog.com

Tools:

• circle hole punch(es) {i did 3 different sizes}
• paper {i chose stiff scrapbook paper. not sure how well regular paper would work on a sewing machine...}
• sewing machine
• thread
• scissors
• glue
• unwrapped roll of paper towels {optional}

Directions:

• punch circles

• feed into sewing machine 
• i've seen garlands with a fun thread that adds a pop of color, or one that blends in {i love both ways!}
• i've also seen garlands where the circles are fed through  perfectly centered and ones where they're off centered to give a quirky fun look. 
• other garlands have the circles touching, others have spaces of thread in between. get creative!

• when you have the garland the length you want it, snip the thread and use a small smear of glue to keep the thread from coming out of the paper. 
• when the glue dried, i chose to tape one end to the roll of paper towels, and wind it around to keep it from tangling.

just a few projects left to go...

{UPDATE} - my friend kim tweaked this idea and made it into a sports theme! check out the blog post here!

love and birthday cake,

amber.

birthday prep - paper pinwheels.

my friend and i were talking the other day and she said there are 2 types of families in the world - the type that doesn't make a big deal out of birthdays and the type that does. 

i do believe we are the type that does. 

since we've been married we have never had a birthday, we've had a birthweek. we love to get together with family, have date days, eat good food, and celebrate. now we are crazy excited to do this for a baby. we've never decorated or thrown ourselves a party before, but we're sure as heck gonna do it for our kids. so, here begins her birthday week {actually, a few days early}. welcome to the birthday factory!

creative idea # 9: paper pinwheels
idea sparked by: there are tons of tutorials online, but i haven't found one that i've read and immediately understood how to make these things. {maybe i'm just reading the wrong ones...} this is my attempt to make a tutorial that at least i would understand :-) 

tools:

• 2 sheets of paper {i used computer paper. obviously the size you choose will effect the size of the pinwheel. i've also made mini ones out of book pages before}
• tape {both regular and double sided}
• string, yarn, or something else to tie with
• scissors
• hot glue gun {optional}
• circle punch in different color {optional}

directions:

• lay  papers end to end and tape together

• fold accordion style, end to end. {i'm confessing to you now that i am a recovering perfectionist. a few years ago i would have meticulously measured one inch increments along the length of the papers, folded them perfectly even, and, had i messed up, would have thrown it away and started all over. i cannot tell you how great it is to not be like that anymore. like i said though, i'm still recovering. instead of measuring perfectly, i fold the paper slightly smaller than the previous fold because when you press it down, it will become the same width as the last fold. see pic below}

 

• a few years ago i would have also busted out my ruler and measured the exact middle of my accordian fold so i would know where precisely to put my string. i clearly needed a life. this time around, i got smart and folded it all in half so i would know where the middle was.

• tie string in fold

• use double stick tape to stick the sides together

 

• if you want to hide the yarn, or simply help coordinated these further with your theme, hot glue a circle to the middle.

tada! crazy easy.

stay tuned for more birthday fun...

love and confetti, 

amber