Easy Mermaid Summer Frose’

A hot summer day is made better with something cool- whether you need this for a mermaid party idea or just a cool treat while you hang out poolside with your friends! There’s nothing quite like combining the flavors of Rose’ wine with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams sorbet. Of course, it is perfect on its own… but I love to add a little something extra. Garnish it with something fun and summery, and it becomes the easiest treat with very little effort!

Isn’t that so cute and easy? All you need to “make” this Frose’ Fun is

1 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Frose’ Sorbet

2. Sprinkles of your choice (I found mine in the baking section at Hobby Lobby). I mixed confetti sprinkles with pink and blue sugar pearls.

3. Sugar Mermaid Tail (optional) – I found these mermaid tails at Hobby Lobby in the baking section.

4. Mini gold spoons- I find the mini spoons at Hobby Lobby, Michael’s Craft Stores, or Party City.

5. Serve on a pretty platter! Prissy Plates sent me this bright and happy platter (as a gift) to use for my summer parties, and I LOVE IT! The bright yellow is a like a dose of sunshine, and the ribbons are inter-changeable. Prissy Plates sent me the pink ribbon with a starfish print on it and also the same print in royal blue! The platter makes summer serving easier and prettier! I also. love how, with a change of ribbon, I can use the yellow into fall and then again for spring. And, one of my very favorite parts about the ribbons is the fact that the bow comes pre-tied for us! All you have to do is weave the long ribbon through the spaces on the platter and then use the ends to secure the bow in place. They make it so user-friendly. You can find this exact serving platter here (plus several other styles and colors)!

So, I have to tell you this is one of the easiest dessert ideas for summer- and the sorbet is sooooo good!! It is a grown-up version of the Cherry Berry ice creams I remember getting at Six Flags Over Georgia when I was a kid! Lol! Those were my favorite treat in the summers- how nice to find one that makes us feel like a kid again while having Jeni’s signature natural flavors and colors.

If you aren’t able to find the mermaid tails, simply use your favorite sprinkles. And, one of my best tips for keeping it frozen in the summer heat… garnish the Frose’ Sorbet ahead of time and place back in the freezer to let it all set.

If you take the sorbet out of the freezer, decorate, and serve right away, it may start to melt on you. It really depends on how many you need to make at one time. If you have several to make, I would suggest making them ahead and putting them back in the freezer! If you’re only making one or two..go for it! It is the best sorbet I have ever had! I hope you love it, too! Here’s to making a splash at your next bash!

For more mermaid and “Under the Sea” party ideas, check out this fabulous party!

Still want more mermaid fun? Go here,

There is also more here,

and here!

xo,

Lydia

bar cart for cinco de mayo fiesta
Shake up Your Fiesta! Mexican Themed Party Drinks

Cheers to having new ideas for fun drinks to add to your celebration rotation! A signature drink for a get-together always makes for a nice greeting for your guests as they arrive- and today I am sharing 2 recipes that will shake up your classic margarita recipe just a bit! I love this homemade version and I think you will, too! Also, I am going to share a non-alcoholic drink that you can whip up easily for your younger or non-drinking friends! So, join me for this fiesta full of ideas to help you host your next party! And, I have to brag on the girls from Party Hat Paper Company who sent me a box FULL of fiesta party supplies! The streamers and party fans are so easy to put together and have such a wow factor!

bar-cart-fiesta-balloon

I really love the FIESTA balloons that are so easy to assemble and really put the perfect touch on the decorations over the bar cart. All you have to do is unfold the letter balloons and use a straw to inflate them. The balloons seal automatically- no tying or twisting. They are just simple to do. I strung them on fishing wire using the holes in the table that are made into the tops of each balloon letter.

fiesta-letter-balloons

To set up this bar cart, I really wanted the top part to be the usable part and the bottom part to be decorative. I put all of the ingredients needed for the drinks on the top, plus glasses, a shaker, ice, cocktail napkins, flowers, and some pretty cookies just in case someone would rather have a cookie than a drink! Something for everyone, right? The bottom shelf of the bar cart was so easy to pull together. I used luminaries from Party Hat Paper Company’s fiesta party kit. I added glasses that my friend tells me look like a cactus, some water for good measure, and a bowl of extra lemons and limes just in case. The party box also came with the garlands that you see on the front of the cart- I loved how easy it was to drape them on the cart and how perfectly they dressed it up and added interest and color!

titos-tequila-patron

For the recipes, I stopped by Five Points Bottle Shop in Athens and bought the ingredients I needed- and they are always so helpful, by the way. For the margarita, I am sharing my favorite marg from an Athens favorite- Taqueria del Sol (there are locations in Atlanta and Nashville if you are close to those cities). It is named “Westside Rita” (aka “the Westside”) and is my favorite Friday night toddy. It gets its name from the location in Atlanta of the first Taqueria del Sol. Here is what you need to make this citrusy margarita…

The Best Homemade Margarita

Salt

2 Fresh Lime Wedges or Slices

2 ounces Herradurra Reposado Tequila

1 ounce Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur

3 ounces Fresh Sweet-and Sour Mix (see below)

To make the Sweet-and-Sour Mix, you will need

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

To make the Sweet and Sour Mix…combine 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan and heat on high. Let boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup lime juice and stir. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.

  1. Pour salt into a small plate
  2. Use the lime wedge to wet the rim of a 12 oz. glass
  3. Dip the rim of glass in the salt.
  4. Pour tequila, liqueur, and Sweet-and-Sour Mix into a shaker with ice.
  5. Shake it up! Pour into glass. Garnish with other lime wedge.
  6. Sip and enjoy!
fiesta-recipe
Recipe from Turnip Greens and Tortillas by Eddie Hernandez of Taqueria del Sol
best-mexican-recipes


Basil Limonada

For this next recipe, this is fresh basil limeade which is perfect as it is but also makes a great base for a cocktail or a fizzy drink. If you want to make it a cocktail, add in a splash of Tito’s Tequila. If you prefer to make it into a soda, just replace the regular water with sparkling water. So perfect for a hot day! Here’s how to make it…

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups water

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 or 3 limes, quartered

Ice

  1. Place the sugar and water in a large pitcher and stir until the sugar dissolves. Measure out 1 cup.

2. Put the limes and basil in a blender, add the 1 cup sugar water and puree the mixture

3. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer back into the pitcher with the remaining sugar water. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to press any pulp. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Serve over ice and garnish with a basil leaf and/or lime slice.

bar-cart-fiesta

Click on the video to see the fun you should definitely have when making these drinks and meet my friend Ellen! She’s a party all on her own! Giant sombrero optional!

Cheers XO,

Lydia

50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Celebrating 50 years of marriage is quite an impressive and important milestone!  When it came time for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, I have to admit, it was tough to decide how to celebrate something so special.  We thought we would go on a family trip to celebrate, or maybe a small family party and a bigger church reception…but, ultimately, my parents decided that they wanted to share the day with friends and family in one party.  This was just days after Christmas and so the calendar was full.  We almost waited too late to plan as we flip-flopped on just what to do! We finally settled on a coffee and dessert drop-in at a local restaurant that is known for its antique cars and airplanes.  It was a fun day with so many family members and friends! The photos will make for a great family photo album as it captured friends from so many parts of a 50-year-marriage. I also wanted to share a few of the ideas we used to decorate and celebrate!

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FASHIONABLE {DESSERT} PHOTO SHOOT

There is something special about dressing up and dishing out desserts for the kiddos for Valentine’s Day!  Shaundra, of Cherished Affairs, shares a beautiful dessert table with us that she styled for a Valentine photography party.  Desserts were served while each guest had their fashion photo shoot with fabulous photographer Danielle McCann.  Perfect to adapt for teens and tweens and also for a grown-up girls-night-out or daytime luncheon, this party is fashionable and fun!

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PEACHY-KEEN PARTY

e the Peach theme for a party for a birthday girl of any age-  it is perfect for a first birthday and equally perfect for an 80th birthday!  And, that is just the theme Lauren, of Capes and Crowns, used to celebrate her grandmother’s 80th birthday!  Lauren added pin-up posters to the theme to tie in the popular pin-ups of her grandmother’s earlier years- and to recognize how beautiful her grandmother is!  It really is just peachy!

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SPARKLE IN THE NEW YEAR

I am in love with every detail of this “Sparkle in the New Year” party design by Couture Events by Lottie!  It is fabulous for New Year’s Eve and way beyond!  Bright punches of color against white and sparkly decorations dotted here and there make this party truly shine.  Everyone deserves to sparkle…so shine on!

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HAVING A BALL OF A BIRTHDAY

I love parties with sweet sentiment, and this party is overflowing with it!  Gretchen, of Three Monkeys Studio, hosted this party for her grandmother in honor of her grandmother’s 90th birthday!  Now, that is something to celebrate!  I was also touched by the fact that Gretchen said she was inspired by the party I threw for my mom’s birthday!  How sweet!  This is one special party for one special (and very loved) lovely lady!

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