November 2012 Julep Maven Box

The November Julep Maven boxes focused heavily on the fall trend of matte/suede nails.  Most of the five box styles contained primarily neutral colored suede polishes.  While I thought they looked lovely, the colors were similar to shades I already had in my collection.  So this month I decided to go with the Bombshell box which stood out from the other styles in color and finish.

In addition to a pink grapefruit scented Body Frosting and three Polish Remover Pads, the Bombshell box included two polishes: Donna, a smokey peacock blue crème and Trina, a deep aubergine shimmer.

Donna is a really gorgeous moody blue that I adore for fall.  Trina is bewitching with it's stunning reddish/golden shimmer.  I look forward to trying out the Body Frosting once I have used up some of the other body lotions I'm currently working on.  I'm also really glad to have the Polish Remover Pads as they'll come in handy to take with me as I'm traveling around the holidays.

I'm really happy with the contents of my November Julep Maven box!  If you're curious to know more about the Maven program, check out my post on my September 2012 Julep Maven Box.

Etsy shop reopened!

{Buried Treasure Necklace}

I just wanted to pop in and announce that I have (finally) started listing some new pieces in my Etsy shop.  Tonight I listed ten pieces and I'm hoping to get in the groove of adding 5-10 pieces every few days.

{Coral Reef Bracelet}

Also, if you don't already follow my Facebook page, you may want to check it out for updates, coupons, sales, etc.

{Winter Branch Necklace}

I spent the better part of my day photographing these pieces, editing photos, pricing the pieces, and typing up the listings.  It's been a while and I had forgotten how time consuming running an online shop can be...

{Take Flight Brooch}

It can also be pretty darn rewarding and so much fun to send your creations to buyers all over the world.

Thank you to everyone who has been patient with me over the past year as I took a much needed break from selling my designs.  I'm so happy to be back in the swing of things now though, and just in time for the holidays.

The S'more Party

I had been causally planning a backyard S'more Party for the past few months, pinning ideas for decor and marshmallow recipes along the way (isn't Pinterest the best for party planning?).  I had originally planned to throw the party at the very beginning of fall, but life threw a few curve balls and I had to push the date back a couple of times.  I was able to set a certain date for last Saturday and was excited to finally get to throw the party.

I had planned some lovely lighting to help illuminate our backyard for the party, including tons of darling hanging mason jar lanterns I created to line the fence along the path to our backyard as well as pretty fairy lights to decorate our deck.

Unfortunately Saturday decided to bring unpleasant weather and rain forced me to abandon the idea of throwing a whimsical backyard S'more Party.  Instead I moved things indoor, used a few of the mason jar lanterns and lots of other candles as decor, and utilized Sterno cans as our marshmallow roasting source.

I set up a drink/dessert table for the party full of lots of homemade goodies to provide numerous s'more flavor possibilities.  I baked two types of graham crackers, made four marshmallow flavors (vanilla bean, chocolate, strawberry, and lime), bought five different types of Ghiradelli squares and Reese's cups for chocolate, and toasted coconut and chopped pecans for toppings.

I used this image as inspiration and created a little menu of sorts of various ideas for combining different marshmallows and chocolates to create unique s'more flavors from Italian Cream Cake (graham cracker + vanilla mallow + white chocolate + toasted coconut & pecans) to Key Lime Pie (graham cracker + lime mallow + white chocolate).  The hardest part about making your s'more was choosing what flavors to try!

To wash down the s'mores, I served up homemade hot chocolate, delicious hot apple cider from a local orchard, ice cold cream soda, root beer, and Ale-8 (a locally made ginger ale).

I set up four Sterno cans over a thick cutting board on our dining table so folks could gather 'round and roast their marshmallows.  The Sterno cans worked beautifully as a roasting source, caramelizing our mallows quickly and evenly.  I'm so glad I discovered these gems for indoor s'more making!  I see many (more simplified) s'more bars in my party hosting future.

I really love planning and throwing little parties like this!  The S'more Party makes for easier and less stressful prep than most food-oriented parties since homemade graham crackers and marshmallows can be made days ahead, if needed.  Hot beverages can be whipped up before guests arrive and kept hot in carafes.  You can go all out with tons of homemade marshmallows and various chocolate options as I did for a full-fledged S'more Party, or do a simplified s'more bar as a fun dessert option for any party.

I think throwing together a S'more Party for the holiday season would be a fun, unique alternative to the typical holiday gatherings.  Everyone loves making s'mores and substituting homemade graham crackers and marshmallows for the usual store bought varieties really elevates things and makes the party seem upscale and gourmet.

I always get so many surprised looks when folks try my homemade marshmallows, "What?  How do you make marshmallows?"  But, really, if you have a candy thermometer and are blessed with a stand mixer, these couldn't be simpler to make!

I'll be back in a day or two with a full recipe list for the graham crackers, marshmallows, and hot chocolate.  In the mean time, if you have any questions about my set up or how to throw your own S'more Party, leave me a comment!