{Queen Bee} Pier 1 Imports Tasting Party Collection

I am so excited that I came across this new collection recently introduced by Pier 1 Imports (one of my favorite places to shop). It is called the Tasting Party Collection and I can't quite contain myself because it is absolutely adorable! Everything is miniature and is made in glass or white porcelain, which works so well with my dishware and serveware! It really took all of me not to buy the entire collection at once, but I was able to gain control over myself and started with just a few pieces. However, I am determined to own the entire collection!

What is even more fun, is that Pier 1 is offering recipes to go along with these cute pieces. You can find these recipes on their website or at their stores. I am so ready to try all of them! I feel a party coming on!

{Busy Bee} Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies

I know I have mentioned Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies before, but I have to mention "Mom" again because she continues to blow me away with her amazing cakepops! I love to frequently browse her Etsy shop to see what new creations she has come up with for her clients and let me say that "Mom" is so killer! The love and detail that she puts into her cakpops is almost unreal. I can't get over how accurate some of her characters are...look at her Olivia and The Cat in the Hat cake pops, they are STUNNING! To give you an idea of the incredible talent of "Mom", I have chosen a handful of her cakepops to feature. Do they amaze you as much as they amaze me?

  What is even more awesome, is that if "Mom" doesn't have what you are looking for in her Etsy shop, you can order a custom design to fit your party theme. I am so excited to see what she comes up with next!

{Busy Bee} Demi Blair Couture on Etsy

I was browsing one of my favorite sites (Etsy) one day and came across such a cute shop. It is called Demi Blair Couture and this site features ruffle rompers and fabric headbands for baby girls. Oh what fun are these little rompers. They come in a variety of colors and have headbands to match! I can't get over how adorable these are, especially if you like frilly and girly things for baby girls...and I of course do! I also couldn't help but notice how lovely the yellow romper and aqua blue mirror in the picture coordinate with my Mod Elephant Printable Party Collection! Demi Blair Couture is definitely a site worth checking out!

{Sugar Bee} Crab and Lobster Cookies

The past two weeks I have been M.I.A. due to planning and preparing for my son's 1st birthday party. It was both exhausting and fun (pictures soon to come)! Part of my week was spent making dozens of cookies in the forms of "J's" and "1's", but the most fun I had was making lobster and crab cookies! I was definitely afraid that I wasn't going to be able to get the shade of red that I was going for, but by using the Americolor gel food coloring, I was able to decorate my cookies exactly how I envisioned! Next time you decorate cookies, cakes, or cupcakes try using Americolor food coloring. They also have a lot of different products to suit all of your decorating needs!

Happy Decorating!

{Party Bee} Another Sneak Peek before Jake's Anchors Away Party!

I just received images from my custom cake pop order from Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies and oh my goodness...these are adorable! These cake pops are not just cute but they are hand painted... "Mom" is very talented! Needless to say, I am incredibly excited and I know they will complete my dessert table nicely. If you are looking to have creative and beautiful cake pops at your next party, check out Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies on Etsy. They will truly WOW you and your guests.

{Party Bee} Jake's Anchors Away Party Sneak Peek

We are approaching the two week mark until Jake's first birthday party and boy am I excited and busy as a bee! Thankfully, I have accomplished quite a bit thus far and now I only have to wait until the madness of the party week to begin preparing all of the yummy treats.

Here is a little sneak peek of the Anchors Away collection that I have been working on...you are not alone, the anticipation is also killing me! Luckily, there is only a couple of more weeks to wait until the big reveal!

Until then, happy party planning!

{Healthy Bee} Healthy-er Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is one of the classic desserts that always seem to be worth the numerous calories. However, do you ever feel like having a slice of carrot cake but without the hundreds of calories? Well here is a delicious version of the classic carrot cake with half of the calories! It is very simple to make and with one slight modification this recipe can be made to fit into a vegan diet. Give it a try and have carrot cake whenever you like...but without the guilt!

Cake ingredients:
1 medium ripe banana, frozen, then thawed
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (approximately 2 medium carrots)
1 1/4 cups flour
1T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Icing ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1T. margarine or vegan margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2T. water

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan. Mash thawed banana in a large bowl. Mix in sugar, oil, vanilla extract and carrots. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the flour mixture into the banana mixture until no lumps remain. Fold in raisins and walnuts.

Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for approximately 10 minutes in pan. Transfer to cooling rack and let cake cool completely.

Icing recipe:
Using a fork, mix powdered sugar, melted margarine, vanilla, and 2T. of water in a large measuring cup. If icing is to thick add 1/2 tsp. of water at a time to achieve a nice drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cake by slowing pouring from measuring cup.

Serves 15

Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional information:

Per Slice: 222 Cal; 2 Grams Protein; 8 Grams Total Fat (1 Gram Saturated Fat); 37 Grams Carbohydrates; 0 Mg. Cholesterol; 205 MG Sodium; 1 Gram Fiber; 26 Grams Sugar.