Mason's Birthday "On the Green": Decor

For Mason's 1st Birthday "On the Green" decor was minimal, partly because the venue didn't need a lot of embellishment and partly because we wanted to keep costs and materials down. We used 6' x 1.5' lengths of astro turf as table runners. They were sturdy, inexpensive (about 48 cents per square foot) and can be used after the party. Centerpieces were cylinder-shaped vases (which were re-used Pom juice glasses) filled with golf balls and wrapped with a strip of grass-patterned paper and an orange ribbon.

(The golf balls in the center pieces were actually more of a source of entertainment for the kids than anything else!)

We made a simple bunting using eco-felt and 1/4 yard of three different fabrics. The bunting now adorns Mason's bedroom walls!

Favors aren't necessarily "decor" but they were our favorite project from this party so we wanted to highlight them. We used this template from Shutter Sisters to create mini photo calendars for guests (using recycled paper.) Each month featured a picture of the birthday boy from the previous year during that month.

The calendars are made to rest in jewel cases. On the back were directions on how to assemble the jewel cases. Adorable and relatively inexpensive to make.

Activities during the party consisted of Wall-E (the movie) playing for the kids, a station to color golf-related clip art pictures, a "Guess How Many" jar full of golf tees and a "Mason Trivia" game for the adults.

When guests RSVP'd for the party, those who wished to golf were given a tee time and we incorporated a golf mini-tournament! There was plenty to do for all ages-- a must for any party.

Come back tomorrow to check out the awesome vendors we used for this event and Thursday for a sneak peek at our budget!

Lindsey's Red Hot 30th

Saturday night was Lindsey's Red Hot 30th birthday party in San Francisco. The evening began in one of the suites at the Clift Hotel, located just minutes from Union Square.
Below is the view from the room on the 14th floor. It was gorgeous at dusk!
Rooms at the Clift have a sleek, modern style and we didn't need to do much to dress up the suite. Add a few red feather boas and some candles and voila!
A champagne toast kicked off the festivities.
Guests met at the room and the birthday girl opened gifts before heading downstairs for drinks.
A twist on the traditional candy buffet, we chose to do a candy cocktail bar.
Guests could mingle, enjoy champagne, and make their own favors.
Red Hots (of course), sour cherries, Boston Baked Beans, various hard candies and rock candy served in cocktail and bar glasses.
A few cinnamon candles for a flickering accent.
Perfectly placed in front of the mirror to maximize the red impact.
The Clift Hotel is home to the Redwood Room lounge where the ladies stopped for the first round of drinks. The sultry and sexy red decor of the Redwood Room helped continue the "Red Hot" theme throughout the evening.
When you think "San Francisco" you can't help but think cable cars-- we rented one for the evening to take the ladies around town.
The trolley picked up the group from the hotel and took a tour of downtown San Francisco.
Next came dinner at Boboquivaris, continuing with "Red Hot" locations. In addition to the party being seated on the top level of the restaurant (pictured below) the waiter was French-- does it get any hotter? We can't take credit for that one.
After dinner the trolley drove the ladies to Johnny Foley's to dance the night away. The birthday girl was treated to the entire bar singing happy birthday while she was seated on one of the pianos.

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

We were honored to get to be a part of your celebration.

Feature Friday: Sweet Expressions Desserts

About a month ago we mentioned that we had a "*sweet* feature" to bring to you, and we finally have it! Meet Kiiki Pittman, owner of Sweet Expressions Desserts.

Kiiki had been making desserts for friends and family for years and after a person hears, "You should do this for a living" so many times, they start to think that might actually be a good idea. For Kiiki, it turned out to be a great idea! Kiiki's dessert business is mainly word-of-mouth and referrals (which is the BEST way to get business). She made the leap to be her own boss after being laid off from her 9-5 job and, like many other entrepreneurs, has found success in doing something she loves.

Sweet Expressions Desserts has an extensive list of treats they offer but they will happily do their best to fulfill any custom order. Here are some of their delicious dessert choices:

• Baklava
  
• Banana Pudding
  
• Brownies (over 17 varieties)
  
• Brownie Pops
  
• Brownie and Cookie Sundaes
  
• Cakes (over 17 varieties)
  
• Cake Poppers
  
• Cheesecake : Traditional (plain), cherry, blueberry, double chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip, toffee bar, peanut butter cup, pumpkin (seasonal)
  
• Cheesecake on a Stick
  
• Chocolate Fountains
  
• Chocolate Dipped Fruit
  
• Chocolate Truffles and candies
  
• Cookies (over 23 varieties)
  
• Cupcakes
  
• Cupcake Parfait
  
• Cupcake Towers
• Flan
• Fresh Fruit (seasonal fruit kabobs and fruit bowls available)
• Lemon Bars
• Parfait
  
• Petit Fours
  
• Pecan Bars
  
• Peanut Butter Chewies
  
• Rice Krispie Bars
  
• Sugar Cookies (decorated) - we have over 100 different shapes
  
• Tarts
  
• Trifle
  
• Monogrammed Treats

I don't know if you caught that, but Sweet Expressions Desserts offers 17 varieties of brownies. YUM. We've sampled their brownie pops and they are amazing.

Sweet Expressions Desserts has done candy buffets (pictured above), dessert buffets, and ice cream buffets. They also frequently have "just because" customers... I mean really, do you need an excuse to enjoy dessert? We sure don't think so!

If you are in the Sacramento area, don't miss Kiiki and Sweet Expressions Desserts on Fox 40 next week! She is doing a cooking demonstration on Wednesday, October 21 at 11AM. Set your DVR's.

If you need to satisfy your craving after all this yumminess, give Kiiki a call at 916.508.3293 and check out their website here.

Enjoy! And thank you to Sweet Expressions Desserts for letting us feature them!

Do you know someone who owns a small business that is related to the event planning industry in some way? We would love to feature them and learn more about their business. Send us an email at peartreeevents@gmail.com. And don't forget to check out our new website: http://www.peartreeevents.net/.

DIY: Chocolate spoons

In keeping with the spirit of chocolate, we're sharing one more do-it-yourself favor project from Katie and Jon's wedding. These white chocolate and milk chocolate spoons are delicious when used as coffee stirrers. They add just the right amount of flavor-- making your guests' morning cup of joe just a little bit more special. For those who aren't coffee drinkers, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the chocolate right off the spoon!


Here is what you need:

- spoons

- chocolate (you can use coating chocolate, chocolate chips, pretty much any kind of chocolate)

- wax paper

- mini cellophane treat bags

- ribbon


1. Using a double boiler, gradually melt the chocolate, stirring every couple of minutes until completely melted.

2. Take one spoon and dip the end into the melted chocolate, making sure both sides are covered and there is a small amount resting in the spoon. Hold the spoon above the bowl or double boiler for a couple of seconds to allow the chocolate on the bottom of the spoon to begin to set.

3. Carefully place the spoon down on the wax paper and allow the chocolate to harden.

4. Once the chocolate has set, you can drizzle the spoons with more chocolate (we drizzled white chocolate over milk chocolate and vice versa) if you'd like to add an extra touch.

5. When the spoons have hardened completely slip them into the mini cellophane treat bags and tie the bags closed with ribbon.

6. Attach a gift tag and you're done!


Not only is this DIY project ridiculously easy, you can modify it to fit your event with just the slightest changes. Add food coloring to white chocolate in order to incorporate your event's colors or mix in a small amount of flavoring to the chocolate as it is melting. We've been known to use mint extract, Kahlua, and amaretto and hazelnut liqueurs in our chocolate spoons. You can also pick up inexpensive but ornate flatwear at a local secondhand store instead of using plastic utensils (those would be perfect for a ladies' tea) and don't worry about all of the pieces matching-- there is charm in using a mismatched variety.

Set the completed spoons as part of your place setting or leave them resting in Irish coffee mugs on your tablescape. We'd love to see how you've incorporated these into your event so be sure to send us some pictures if you use them!

(I do apologize for not having pictures in this post-- for the LIFE of me, I can't find them. As soon as I do though, I'll add them!)

Feature Friday: Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

This week at Pear Tree we are breaking from paper and heading toward sweets. What can be sweeter than chocolate? Sacramento is the home of a small, upscale chocolate shop that is so, so much more. This week Pear Tree Events would like to introduce you to Ginger Elizabeth!Ginger Elizabeth Hahn grew up in Camino, California, a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She discovered early on that cooking could be much more than a hobby. At the age of 16, a summer course at the CIA Greystone in Napa Valley convinced her that working with food was her passion.

Ginger took a position at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. There she apprenticed under the world famous pastry chefs. To be closer to her family, Ginger returned to California and lives in Sacramento. She was the Pastry Chef at Masque Ristorante in El Dorado Hills for three years.

In 2005, at the age of 24, Ginger opened the wholesale chocolate company Couture Chocolates by Ginger Elizabeth. The company allowed her to practice and showcase the talents and skills she had acquired, while continuing to learn and explore new ideas. Keeping up with the industry trends, she completed a chocolate science and technology course at UC Davis in 2006.

By 2007 Ginger had decided to expand her business by opening her first retail location. The boutique chocolaterie would feature all things chocolate including individual desserts, hot chocolate, cakes, cookies, chocolate sculptures, and of course a variety of chocolate confections. In 2008, Ginger launched the retail store in Midtown Sacramento under the company's new name, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates.
Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
1801 L Street Suite 60
Sacramento, CA 95811
916.706.1738

Hours of Operation:
Sunday & Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Thursday – 10am – 8pm
Friday & Saturday – 10am – 10pm

Our coordinators here at Pear Tree Events are just dying for an excuse to include these delicious handmade, locally produced chocolate masterpieces in one of our events. We hope you do the same. Check out Ginger Elizabeth's website here for more information, pricing, and many more scrumptious pictures.
Take one look at these ice cream sandwiches below and tell me you can avoid a visit to Midtown Sacramento, if for only a taste!

DIY: Coffee Bark

This weekend's Pear Tree Events wedding has a coffee "flavor" to it since the groom is a mad coffee fan. For table assignments we decided to go with small tins of coffee bark (think a combination between peppermint bark and chocolate covered espresso beans) labeled with each guest's name and table number. This bittersweet treat couldn't be easier to make and will be sure to keep your guests' energy up on the dance floor long into the night!
1. Gradually melt chocolate of your choice using a double boiler or in the microwave (being sure to stir at least every 30 seconds to a minute.) We used blocks of coating chocolate but chocolate chips would also work well.

2. When the chocolate has melted completely, add whole coffee beans and mix well. The chocolate to coffee bean ratio is entirely up to you. I tend to prefer more chocolate, but being that there was only a small amount going in each tin we opted to make the coffee bark heavier on the beans.

3. Pour the mixture onto cookie sheets covered with wax paper or cellophane. (Note: if you use cellophane make sure there are NO wrinkles in the plastic otherwise it will get caught in the creases of the chocolate... then you'll be forced to eat those pieces...)

4. Place the cookie sheets in the freezer for about half an hour. When the chocolate has cooled and set completely, remove the cookie sheets and set the slab of coffee bark on a hard surface. Break the coffee bark into small pieces and place into tins, goodie bags, or whatever you are using to present them. We purchased these tins from Beau Coup for 80 cents each, the chocolate was only $1 per package on sale (a STEAL) and whole coffee beans can be picked up pretty much anywhere you like to buy your coffee. That makes this DIY favor a very cost effective detail as well.

5. Attach labels or a gift tag and enjoy!

You'll see the finished product sometime in the coming weeks when we feature Katie and Jon's wedding. For guests who shy away from caffeine and for the youngin's attending this wedding, we filled the tins with red jelly beans. Something for everyone.

DIY: Program Fans

Appropriate for a HOT July wedding, we decided to print these wedding ceremony programs on fans that guests may use throughout the wedding and reception. At Pear Tree Events we are always looking for elements that have dual purposes. These make a thoughtful favor for guests and guide them through your event.

For this project you will need:

- white card stock (modify the colors to suit your wedding inspiration)
- black card stock
- craft sticks
- silver spray paint
- glue gun
- double-sided tape
- ribbon

1. Print your programs using the highest print quality on your printer and cut them into 6" squares. The front and back of the program need to be printed on two pieces of paper (no two-sided printing.) Round the corners (or use decorative scissors to embellish.) Cut the black card stock into 7" squares and round the corners. Using double-sided tape, affix each program centered onto a black card stock square.
2. Spray paint the craft sticks and allow to dry. Dab a small drop of hot glue on the end of the craft stick and attach it to the back of the program, leaving half of the stick hanging off the end. Dab with another drop of hot glue and attach the other side of the program. You should now have front and back sides with the stick securely in the middle.3. Tear four small pieces of double-sided tape and adhere the four corners of the program front to the back to keep the papers together while the fan is in use.
4. Finally, tie a 1" wide ribbon (or several thin ribbons in coordinating colors) onto the craft stick at the base of the program. Please tie a bow larger than the one pictured above... and cut the ribbon on the long side so the ends will be flowing. We made this sample a bit hastily, as we were working on another DIY project for the same bride all at once. Check back to see one of the favors we made!