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Showing posts with label celebrations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebrations. Show all posts

Friday, March 16, 2012

Recipe: Irish Car Bomb Cupcake

St. Patrick's Day is just about here!!! It's one of my three favorite holidays! [Christmas and my birthday being the other two] I love everything about St. Patrick's Day and love that my mom is part Irish so we can celebrate the most awesome holiday on the calendar. 

Below is a recipe from Brown Eye Baker where is takes the infamous Irish Car Bomb beverage and turns it into the most delicious cupcake ever!!! One of my good friend's had informed me of what an Irish Car Bomb was a few years ago. [I had never heard of the drink before.]  It wasn't until just a few months ago, that I had gone to this little Irish bar in the next town over called the 'Tilted Kilt,' where myself and my two friends, one them being the friend who had initially told me about Irish Car Bombs, had enjoyed (my first ever) Irish Car Bombs. And I fell in love! They're delicious, almost like a milkshake or chocolate milk. And of course half the fun of this beverage is the steps required to drink it. So below you can make your own Irish Car Bomb cupcakes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, or any day in my opinion because these cupcakes are way too delicious to only enjoy once a year!








Have a marvelous St. Patrick's Day, and of course 
make sure to enjoy a beer or two...or three!

xxoo









Saturday, March 10, 2012

On a Sunday in March...

As I informed you guys last week, I attended my Future Sister in Law's Bridal Shower on Sunday. It was actually much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. I say this because being that I am one of 11[i think?] bride's maids, I thought the day was going to be very chaotic. But it was the opposite.. I got to see all my relatives from my mom and dad's sides of the family and also meet some new faces from the Bride's side of the family. It was a lovely way to spend my Sunday and I am so happy to be apart of my only older brother's wedding and sharing in their very special day. Their wedding is in just under a month, April 7th. I'm very excited for their big day as well. They've been together since their sophomore year of high school..that's 7 years!! I'm so happy for them and I can't wait for Florina [Bride to be] to become an official member of the family and my sister in law.


The Bride's maids + MOB and MOG




The day was perfect. The weather cooperated nicely and all our family and friends were together to celebrate. We spent the day dancing to traditional Albanian music, which I am starting to really enjoy, laughing with relatives, meeting new soon-to-be family members and simply enjoying the fact that very soon to families will be one at the wedding of my brother, Artan and his fiance, Florina. 



 Above: myself, the bride-to-be, my mom, 
my grandmother, and my two sisters
Below: The Bride-to-be, my sisters and my self.


The theme for the Shower was 'Fashionista,' as the bride-to-be went to LIM in New York City and graduated last spring with a degree in Fashion Marketing..[she's now the manager of Bare Essentials..] The color scheme was black, hot pink, and light pink. Her center pieces contained three key items, which two of the three were used for prizes for the games we played, Hat Boxes with well-known fashion brands on them, martini glasses filled with cosmetic goodies, and dress form shaped jewelry holders. The games we played were 'Purse Scavenger Hunt' and 'Gift Bingo.' It was a great laugh watching the older guests play these games. The hat boxes were used to hold recipe cards that each guest was asked to bring, containing a recipe they wanted to share with the Bride and Groom. The cake was actually made by one of the Bride's old high school friends, themed to match the center pieces..[it was the baker's first cake since graduating from culinary school just recently]



 [Pretty good for her first cake in my opinion.]

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And then the groom arrived! Such a sweet surprise, even though most of us knew, including the bride lol. He came in with the biggest smile on his face I'd ever seen! I was soo happy to see my brother soo happy!! He came baring a bouquet of beautiful flowers for his fiance and they matched her gorgeous pink dress perfectly. They danced to traditional Albanian music, as friends and family gathered 'round the dance floor to celebrate the two of them together.. although this wasn't their actual wedding, it made the reality of the two of them getting married even more real and I can't wait to see them on their Wedding Day!









 Congratulations to the two most amazing, loving, special people I know, Artan & Florina! I love you both to the moon and back!! I hope you have an a marriage full of as much love, success and happiness as you've had so far! love you guys!! xxoo, Ana




Notes about the day:
Cake- Also by The Brownstone
Bride's Dress- unknown, sorry guys!
DJ- Family Friend