Arizona Cowboy!

This past weekend my Dad turned 75 and to celebrate, we put together a Western party, harking back to his cowboy roots growing up in the Arizona desert! We went back to the park where we had my daughter's "Yee Haw, Cowgirl!" third birthday {the birthday that sparked my fondant obsession!}, which has to be the coolest park EVER! Western Trails is an equestrian park with covered-wagon tables, a windmill, a bonfire pit and dare I say, the most awesome bathrooms disguised as a General Store!

Since I had worked on a kids' Western theme in the past, I wanted to make sure the styling had a more sophisticated, adult feel this time around. I utilized natural, brown colors in textures and fabrics, such as burlap, wood, straw, etc., but also infused shades of greens and reds, prominent in Arizona cacti. I had made a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" burlap banner, but unfortunately the wind was blowing a bit too much that day and I wasn't able to use it. In the craziness that can take place while setting up for a party, there are always unforeseen issues than can arise and I am slowly learning to go with the flow and let it go!

The dessert table included some simple desserts, including a s'mores bar, cupcakes with fondant toppers, pastry wheels, oatmeal cookies and miniature pecan pies. I accented the presentations with paper fans and tags with digital designs by Poppydreamz and used baskets and luggage trunks to display the sweet options. The rest of the table was decorated with a couple of terrariums I put together with cacti from our local nursery, straw and wooden tumbleweeds.

The "Chuck Wagon" carried a delicious barbecue served "family style", demonstrating a casual, but clean and classy setting, while the "Watering Hole" displayed the refreshment options. I carried the color assortment over with the red plates and cactus green napkins wrapped around wooden cutlery {from Cupkate's Event Design} inside mason jars. Baked beans were kept warm in miniature mason jars at each place setting.

For favors, guests rode off into the sunset with little boxes of old fashioned pecan pie, along with miniature mason jars with succulents to remember the day!

Despite the high winds, we truly had a wonderful time commemorating my Dad's milestone birthday! My favorite aspect of planning parties is tailoring and personalizing the theme to the guest of honor to ensure a memorable celebration and this occasion was no exception. We were still able to {quickly} cook s'mores and as my Dad put it, it will just give us more reason to remember the day! Besides, we had to rough it a bit like true cowpokes and the turning windmill captured the mood perfectly!

Lynlee's Vintage Valentines

 Love is in the air and with Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I am super excited to announce the launch of the first fondant tutorial in our new publication line: Lynlee's Vintage Valentines! A couple of years ago, I made these Vintage Love Matches fondant toppers that were very popular, so I was inspired to build upon this idea with a collection of playful and vibrant designs. I adore the sweet little characters and sayings, as well as the infusion of non-traditional yellows and blues!

The tutorial for the Vintage Valentines collection is available for purchase in digital format {WebViewer, PDF and iPad versions} for $4.95 or if you purchase the print copy for $8.95 {plus shipping}, you will also receive all the digital formats for free! Click on the red button below to find out more, preview the publication and purchase your copy! ♥

Lynlee's Vintage Valentine

By Lynlee Beckett in Lynlee's Fondant Tutorials

22 pages, published 1/22/2013

Vintage Valentines fondant tutorial, including step-by-step instructions to make four different toppers to dress up cupcakes or any other treats to gift your Valentine!