{Cotton Candy Bar}

Are you still with me? I always look forward to Thursday’s because I get to tell you all about the amazing sweet peeps that we have the privilege of working with, showcasing their sweet treats with unique bar ideas that we can help incorporate into your wedding or special event. Trust us; your guest will love the sweets!

Today’s sweet (and may I add inspirational) guest for our Raising the Bar blog series, certainly does not need an introduction, but just in case you don’t know of her, Mompreneur (Mom Entrepreneur), Nina Rodecker, I will tell you a little bit about her and her company, Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company.

"Inspired by "LIHI" (lee-HEE) - a Filipino term for pregnancy craving - Nina Rodecker founded Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company in 2008 and became a pioneer in catered cotton candy services. Her signature method of light, fluffy and melt-in-your mouth cotton candy became an instant smash hit and Tasty Clouds exploded leading her to the #1 spot in Startup Nation's 2010 Leading Moms in Business Competition and #1 overall in the 2009 Top Home Based Business Competition."

Pretty amazing, right?  Well, not only does Tasty Clouds make dreamy cotton candy (sticks, tasty tubs and martini’s), but they also offer a variety of dessert selections including Caramel Apples, Sweet Sticks and Snow Cones!  Say hello to carnival themed parties this summer!

Nina shares some fun facts about cotton candy:

·         Its 99% air – What appears to be a large serving of cotton candy is really only a small part of sugar – the rest is air, which gives the cotton candy its light and airy texture and special appearance.

·         A normal serving of cotton candy (about 1 oz.) has approximately 26 grams of carbs, about 100 calories and no fat. It usually contains less sugar than a can of an average soft drink.

·         Cotton candy is also known as Fairy Floss or Candy Floss and was not renamed to cotton candy until the 1920’s... And if you are worried about cavities, there isn’t enough sugar in cotton candy to make your teeth form instant cavities.

·         Did you know there is a national Cotton Candy day?  It is celebrated on December 7.

See Nina in action on "My Fair Wedding" with David Tutera:

Back to those amazing photos we showed you above... they were taken by Marilyn Nakazato for a 'Water for Elephants' wedding inspiration photo shoot and concept video by Rustic Red Studio, recently featured on Green Wedding Shoes. 

Want a chance to try Tasty Clouds cotton candy?  Tasty Clouds is offering 10% off + FREE SHIPPING on Cotton Candy Orders of $50 or more, now through Memorial Day (5/30/2011). Be sure to enter code TCFREE50 at checkout.

Now isn’t that a sweet way to end the week?  Thank you so much Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company for stopping by today!

 

{Sweet Sponsor: Sweet Dreamery Desserts}

There is nothing sweeter than our partnership with vendors and businesses that give back to support our local communities. From donating baking lessons to raising funds and awareness for special causes, we enjoy partaking in local non-profit events with our sweet sponsor, Sweet Dreamery Desserts.

From Andrea Brackett, Founder of Sweet Dreamery Desserts (SDD), and a proud Chocoholic with a love of baking, "All desserts at SDD are baked from scratch; even the frostings and whipped creams are scratch made. Feel free to give SDD a challenge, because we love custom orders that motivate us to bake and decorate outside of the box".

SDD shares a passion for supporting local non-profit organizations and participating in vendor events where they get to meet and interact with the public. Check out some of their recent work within the community during EMS week!

Sweet Dreamery Desserts is an excellent local resource for all of your baking needs. From cookie baskets to cupcakes and wedding cakes, they’ve got you covered.  What is even more exciting is that Sweet Dreamery Desserts is offering a 10% discount to all Glam Candies fans on any of their sweet treat orders!  Just fan their Facebook page and tell them we said hello!  

A sweet welcome to our sweet sponsor Sweet Dreamery Desserts!

Think you are a good fit to Advertise with Glam Candies? Contact us for a media kit and pricing. We are currently offering 200 x 50 px banner spaces to assist you with promoting your blog, services or products for up to 1 year! We look forward to working with you!

{Love Blossoms}

I’ve ventured onto Pintrest. I haven’t shared any of my inspiration boards on here thus far, but I thought I'd share this one.  I created it to provide some pretty sweet inspiration for my bride that I am meeting with this weekend.  We agreed on a {Love Blossoms} themed dessert bar that will be displayed at her wedding in July. I love how the metallic shades of pinks, purples and blues shine and infuse a sleek, contemporary twist. Think she’ll like it?

I’m still finding my way around Pintrest, so if I’ve discredited your image, just let me know! The image sources are linked below.

Top Row Left to Right:  Lanterns, Mochi, Sequins Middle Row Left to Right: Orchid Mini Cakes, Origami Butterflies, Origami Cherry Blossoms Bottom Row Left to Right: Ice, Cotton Candy Martini, Orchids

 

{Ice Cream Bar}

If you are new to the Glam Candies blog, welcome!  If you have been with us over the past couple of weeks, Thanks also for following along, and you may already be familiar with our new blog series, Raising the Bar.  This blog series is completely dedicated to my love of planning events and styling dessert stations.  I am always on the hunt for the most cutting edge bar ideas that will not only entertain, but will delight and entice your guests, creating that fun and memorable experience to be shared by all, on any occasion.

Delivering not only a sweet experience, but exceptional customer service, great-tasting quality products made with simple ingredients that are sweet on the environment, and ethical business practices to events in the Southern California area; I could hardly contain my excitement to welcome our next guest, for our Raising the Bar blog series, Sweet Lucie’s!

Not only did I have the honor of meeting the masterminds (husband and wife team), behind Sweet Lucie’s, Geri and Mike Czako at an industry event hosted by Utterly Engaged earlier in the year, but I had the pleasure of trying their organic handmade ice cream (and trust me, the pleasure was all mine)!

I was immediately drawn to cutest vintage ice cream cart I had ever seen, containing premium, organic, handmade ice creams and sorbets in customized flavors like Vanilla Bean, Cookies & Cream, Snickerdoodle, Coffee and Peanut Butter Cup (to name a few) drizzled in organic handmade sauces like caramel and chocolate and piled high with more organic toppings like coconut shavings, gummi bears and seasonal fruits (to name a few more).

Oh, back to the vintage ice cream cart…there she is...isn’t she’s a beauty?!...

Sweet Lucie’s evokes an era when ice cream was made with simple, natural ingredients.  The organic ice creams and sauces are handmade especially for your special event, on the day of your event or on the day before, using only organic and natural ingredients and select fair trade vanilla, chocolates, teas, and coffees.  Because the ice cream is handmade for each event, the flavors can be customized to go with your theme, color palette or special flavors for the celebrants. 

Sweet Lucie’s prides itself on using only simple, all natural organic ingredients that are better for both you and the planet.  Their serving cups and spoons are not only recyclable, but compostable as well.

Image courtesy of Gabriel Ryan

If you haven’t melted over this series yet :), wait until you read about the inspirational story behind Sweet Lucie’s…

Sweet Lucie’s all started when owner, Geri Czako, had a craving for something sweet. Geri and her husband Mike were expecting their first child, and Geri wanted ice cream.

To satiate her ice cream craving, but also to ensure that the ingredients were delicious, superior, and organic, Geri decided to make her own.

After months of experimentation, along with attending the world-famous Penn State Ice Cream course, Geri developed the ideal combination of organic ingredients and sweet perfection.

Geri and Mike soon welcomed their baby girl.

Her name is Lucie.

Images courtesy of He and She Photography

A huge Thanks to Sweet Lucie’s for stopping by today!

Until next time,

Miriam

 

{Bridesmaids}

Over the weekend, Linda and I had a chance to see the new comedy Bridesmaids, starring one of my favorite actresses, Kristen Wiig.  If you have seen the movie The Hangover, this film is rumored to be the female equivalent of it.  Although we both had to drag our husbands along, they seemed to have enjoyed the movie just as much as we did.  We all laughed hysterically in the theater, almost the entire time.

If you have ever been a Bride, Bridesmaid or a Maid of Honor, then you may be able to relate to the six main characters in the movie.  The movie portrays how quickly a wedding can turn disastrous and how easily one can lose sight of what is most important during the wedding planning process and festivities leading up to the wedding.  

With that said, it was different than the movie The Hangover, both men and women can enjoy it and have a good laugh together and it’s safe to say that we would all see it again.   

Check out the movie trailer and some of the glamorous fashion we spotted on Harper’s BAZAAR. 

 

{The Bridesmaids’ Shopover}

“For Kristen Wiig and her costars in the new comedy Bridesmaids, a night on the town ends up doing a lot more damage — to their wallets, at least — than a hangover.”  - via Harper’s BAZAAR

Have you seen the movie Bridesmaids?  We would love for you to share your thoughts on it.

XO,

Miriam

{Mini Donut Bar}

Last week, we kicked off our Raising the Bar series with a festive Nacho Bar.  I was inspired to write this blog series to spark creative ways to entertain your guests through dessert, food and candy bars.  This week, we are so happy to feature Dough-a-Deer!

Catering sweet treats to local weddings and events based in Southern California, Dough-a-Deer specializes in mini donuts, chocolate pretzels, doughpops (similar to cake pops), truffles and baby bunts.  Not located in Southern California?  Don’t fret.  Shop their site for select items.

Surprise your guests with a unique donut bar that can be coordinated with your event colors and theme.  See a full list of their delicious flavors here and let Glam Candies assist you with more presentation and pairing ideas.

Feast your eyes on Dough-a-Deer’s mini donuts! 

Are dessert bars not an option for your event? These sweet favors will leave your guests with a lasting impression that they will savor and remember.

Thanks for stopping by Dough-a-Deer!

Do you have a bar idea that you would like to see featured?  Share it with us!

{Rochelle & Jason’s Wedding, Anaheim Hills Golf Club, California}

From the moment that I met with Rochelle to discuss her wedding day details, I knew that her wedding day was going to be very special.  Her fiancé Jason was living out of state at the time, so planning their wedding was no easy task at hand.  I eventually got to meet Jason at our walk through, at Anaheim Hills Golf Club, and I could just see how nervous and happy they both were when it all started to set in.  After all, there were so many memorable moments to look forward to, like the jumping of the broom and the tearful toasts that were given by their family members and best friends, to Jason’s and the groomsmen’s surprise change into their dancing shoes - Adidas sneakers.  On April 9^th, 2011, the long time sweethearts were married! 

Here is a glimpse of their wedding.  I can’t wait to share more of their story, photos and details with you.  Congratulations Rochelle & Jason!

Thanks Rochelle and Jason for giving me the honor to share in your wedding day, to the talented team at Jessica Elizabeth Photography who captured the magic, to my planners and the rest of the team that made this day possible.

{Sweets for Mom}

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you sweet Great's, Grandmother’s, Mother’s, Mother-in-Law's, new Mommy’s, Mommy-to-be’s and Auntie’s (because you get to share in some of the fun too)!  We are sharing a special Mother’s Day sweet treat with you that we found via Mommy Knows.

Take a look at these dreamy cake pops.  Although, the cake pops may look a little intimidating to make at first, the tutorial over at Mommy Knows makes it much easier for everyone to follow along!  You may even want to consider spending some quality time with Mom over the weekend to make them.  If you have ever tried cake pops, then you know how heavenly they all are.
 
For tons more cake pop inspiration, you'll have to stop by Bakerella's.  This is my one stop shop for most of my baking questions and is where I first learned to make cake pops.

Enjoy!

Image courtesy of Mommy Knows



Dedicated to my mom.  I love you mom! :)

{We're having a fiesta!} Celebrating 5 de Mayo

In the spirit of 5 de Mayo, we are kicking off our new blog series:

Raising the Bar 

Every week we will bring you a fabulous and delicious new bar!  What kind of bar?  Let’s think outside of candy…don’t get me wrong, we all love candy, but we want to know what types of bars you want to see featured here!

Share your ideas, we want to hear them!

This Nacho Bar would be an amazing party starter at your fiesta celebration! 

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Happy 5 de Mayo!