Last week we coordinated a Donor Reception for the Springfield Mid-America Singers at the Elfindale Mansion. We decided to do these simple, but meaningful centerpieces. We rolled old music up, tied with ribbon and placed in vases. Sometimes less is more, and in this case, it definitely worked. 
Images by Meg White.
Happy Memorial Day. We are forever grateful for those that have served and died for our beautiful country.
The mixture of Burlap and Lace is popping up everywhere. I absolutely love the dessert table that Jenny Cookies created here. I think the craze comes from the mixture of dark vs light, masculine vs feminine, casual vs fancy, and the list goes on. There is so much to do with this mixture of fabrics that people are jumping at the chance to create something gorgeous.
A cotton candy machine sounds like a good idea for every party. It brings color, activity and excitement to your event. It’s easy to rent and comes with instructions, a piece of cake right? Well, not exactly. It’s a little more tricky than that. I’ve rented many machines for events in the past and handed over the instructions to a group of volunteers and had them figure it out. However, we rented a machine for a birthday party back in March and had to figure it out ourselves. When you’re crunched for time, it’s not so easy. We didn’t need to return the machine right away so I took the time the next day to practice a bit, and here is what I learned…
You will need:
Cotton candy machine
Floss sugar (flavored sugar)
Paper cones
Bags
Instructions
Bowl with netting and clips
Tips:
1. Follow the directions completely, don’t skip a step, it’s worth being patient.
2. It’s best outdoors. We used the machine indoors and it set off the smoke detectors. It doesn’t create smoke but there are small sugar particles that fly into the air and cause some detectors to go off.
3. This is a two person job. It is not easy to be successful alone. One person should make the candy and one person should bag the candy.
4. Don’t let the bowl get too full. If you don’t have two people your bowl will get full (see picture below) which makes it hard to wrap the candy up.
5. Spin the stick while you are making the circular motion around the bowl, otherwise you create a blob that is hard to get into a bag.
6. Bigger is not always better. If you are going for looks, a smaller portion is better and will stay on the stick while eating.
7. Try to keep up with the machine, if you aren’t able to go fast, you leave too much waiting to be bagged. It becomes hard and the hard crystals (think wet cotton candy) will get into your future packages.
8. Don’t wear your Sunday best. You will get messy and sticky (see picture below). I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because I was an amateur. I think you will get cotton candy on your regardless.
9. Do your best to clean out the bowl for the rental company but don’t clean too much as you might damage the machine by getting something wet that isn’t suppose to be wet. They will gladly clean the machine for you.
10. Have fun and eat LOTS of candy. 
Machine from All Events Rental
Beautiful Esther performed her final recital for her graduate degree a few weeks ago. We had the pleasure of setting up a classy black & white reception for her in Ellis Hall on Missouri State University’s campus. 
We were very excited to use the black & white backdrop from Swept Away (one of our favorite rental companies that serves events and brides in Springfield). If you are a bride in the area, you should definitely check them out. 
Images by Meg White.
Before getting to this month’s installment of Sweet Little Details, we want to say a big congratulations to Jen on her newest addition, Nora. Isn’t she precious? 
In between taking care of her sweet little one and her toddler, Jen is still finding time to bake. How does she do it?! We are excited to share this Oreo Layer Cake recipe from her. 
Devil’s Food Cake
You will need 2 layers of devil’s food cake. I used a cake mix and made some adaptions…why because I have about 15 of them that I bought really cheap.
Cheesecake
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 (or more) crushed oreo cookies
White Chocolate Frosting
1 (11 ounce) package Ghirardelli white baking chocolate (you can use a different brand, but I promise you won’t be sorry if you use the good stuff)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
2 pounds confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 crushed oreos
The Cake
Prepare and bake devil’s food cake in two 9-inch round pans as instructed. Let cool completely. If you want to make this ahead, you can even freeze the cake layers.
The Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line the bottom of a springform pan with foil and set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs one at a time; mix well. Stir in vanilla until smooth. Fold in crushed oreos. Pour into pan. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour. Let cool completely. I then put the cake in the freezer about an hour before I was going to assemble the cake to make the assembly go more smoothly.
Frosting
Place white chocolate in double boiler over pot of simmering water just until it begins to melt. Stir to fully melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile cream butter on medium speed. Once chocolate has cooled, beat in with butter. Continue to mix at low to medium speed while adding vanilla. Gradually add in milk and powdered sugar, alternating until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Assembling the Cake
After you have the cake, cheesecake and frosting made, you are ready to put the cake together! Yay! Finally!
Place one layer of devil’s food cake on cake stand. Frost top with a thin layer of frosting, and a sprinkle of crushed Oreos. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove bottom of the pan, then peel off foil. Place cheesecake layer on top of the cake. If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to trim it. Frost top with a thin layer of frosting, and a sprinkle of crushed Oreos. Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat entire cake with a layer frosting to act as the crumb coat. Once crumb coat is set, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary. Top with crushed Oreos, or any decoration of your choosing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Enjoy!!!
Today’s DIY is perfect for a party backdrop.
I’m going to use this project for my son’s room and his 1st Birthday party. It’s simple and can be done to fit your style.
Supplies:
White canvas
tape
paint/brushes
Start with your blank canvas and tape off your letter.
Paint the inside color
Paint the outside color
Let the paint dry completely before you remove the tape.
There you have it! A handmade sign as the backdrop for your party!
We had a great time collaborating with our friend to pull off a surprise birthday party for his wife, Rachel, a few weeks ago. The event was held in the Opus Room of Fedora Social House and featured Dallas Jones, who played Beatle cover songs most of the night (Rachel is a long time fan of the Beatles). Rachel celebrated her 28th birthday with friends, family and this yummy red velvet cake from Beth’s Bake Shoppe. It was a successful night!
(Side note: You should check out Rachel’s blog, Foodie Rachel, for great recipes and other food adventures!)
Happy Mother’s Day to all those lovely mommies out there. Here is a sweet brunch idea for you planners to give your mother something extra special on her day. Thanks Darling & Daisy for sharing your wonderful dessert bar.
photography: Natalie Spencer
It is always a privilege to work with Liddie Mae Designs. Sarah, the owner, is so talented. She recently let us borrow a few things for the latest 417 Bride shoot. Here’s a peak…
Check out her other work here.
