{Review} Trident Kraken HTC EVO 4G Phone Case from Accessory Geeks

I was recently asked to do a review for a phone cover for Accessory Geeks.  As many of you know, I have been on the hunt for a phone case for my new HTC EVO phone.  It was finally time for me to upgrade from my old school phone and enter the world of smart phones.  

With that, I was very excited to receive the original Trident Kraken HTC EVO 4G phone case.  If you are on the go like me, you need a case that is not flimsy or one that can crack easily.  And if you have kiddos who like to play on your phone, you for sure need a case that can withstand bumps and occasional drops. 

I have a tendency to be a bit on the clumsy side, so when I first saw and felt the durable, heavy duty silicone case I knew it would be great for me.  The corners have extra padding which offers even more protection if dropped. An extra plus is that the cover has a built in bubble free screen protector.  How great is that?

And I love the touch of pink to add some girlishness.  With my old phone cover, it constantly slipped out of my hands (especially on our hot summer days) only to drop on the floor and crack.  With the Trident Kraken cover, it is ergonomically designed so that it contours to the shape of my hand and makes it very comfortable to hold while chatting on the phone or using one of my apps. 

I love my new phone cover!  I love that I can toss it in my bag, let my girls play with it and not have to worry anymore if something will happen to my phone.

Order yours HERE!

 I will only promote products to my readers that I believe in.

{New to the Shop} Haute Halloween Collection & Sale!

I am SO excited to share our newest collection with you!  I styled this table a few weeks ago to showcase our Haute Halloween printable designs.  I had not one but TWO hard drives crash on my laptop which made for quite a bit of a delay in adding the collection to my shop.  I am VERY happy to report that everything is back up and running.  With that, I can't wait to show you all of the details of our Haute Halloween collection.  You are sure to get in the mood for Halloween and I hope it inspires you when planning your upcoming parties!

One of the latest Halloween party trends is using color palettes that consist of non-traditional orange and black.  This collection includes sophisticated purples, black and white along with a beautiful damask pattern that adds a chic look.  Enjoy all of the photos and details below!

 

This was such a fun table to style.  I wanted to create a unique and sophisticated Halloween collection this year in addition to our more traditional styles.  By decorating with many pieces from my home and adding some sparkly accents, the result was a chic and polished look and one that's elegant while still centered on the holiday.

My inspiration came from the fancy candelabra and sparkly purple candles I found at Michaels.  I thought it would be a unique way to display the cupcakes by placing them on top of the candelabra which created a fresh twist to the centerpiece for the table. I incorporated purple candies and sweets throughout the dessert table.  I found additional pieces from Michaels such as the feather wreaths, candy holders, glittery spiders and pumpkins.

 I pulled accent pieces that I had in our home such as the black frame, candle holders, martini glasses and cake stand and incorporated them for the table. I added black ribbon and tied bows to the wreaths as well  the frame for a pretty touch.  The favor boxes were purchased at Hobby Lobby and one of our favor tags from the collection along with a matching ribbon added the perfect touch!

Many thanks to Sugar Mama's Bakeshop for the fabulous cupcakes and La Patisserie by Luxe Sweets for the amazing macarons.


Hosting a Halloween party this year?

We're debuting the new collection with a 50% off sale!!
The Haute Halloween Collection is now available in the shop HERE!

View all of our Halloween Collections HERE.

What's Your Color?

One of my favorite stores as you know is Paper Source.  It's one of my favorite places to go for crafty inspiration.  As I was leaving the store, a rainbow of colors caught my eye.  I had just stumbled across a Colorscope.  When creating new designs for the shop, one of the first things I do is sit down to decide what color palette to use. Sometimes, it is easy and other times I need to look to my favorite sources for inspiration.  I was so happy to find Paper Source's Colorscope.  

What is a Colorscope:  It's about coordinating colors and then learning how those colors match your personality.  

Your favorite color(s) can indeed reveal something interesting about yourself.

Try it, pick out your two favorite colors (mine, at the moment are Pool and Blossom) and read what they tell about yourself.  It's so fun to see how colors work well together but I am amazed at how my favorite colors can speak to who I am as a person.  

How fun would it be to pull out the Colorscope at your next event?  Who knows... perhaps you might be a matchmaker!

Click the picture to view larger or click HERE.

What's your favorite color(s)?

Enjoy!

{50% off Sale} Happy Halloween Collection as seen on Hostess with the Mostess!

Are you looking forward to Halloween yet?
Our Happy Halloween collection is perfect for both children and adult parties. The printable collection consists of traditional Halloween colors of orange and black with patterns of stripes and polka dots. 

Ready to create your Happy Halloween party? 

Available in my Etsy shop for 50% off HERE.

Printable files include:

1.  Fill-in Happy Halloween Invitation
2. "Happy Halloween" Banner
3.  Party Squares (spider, "BOO", "Happy Halloween!")
4. Favor Gift Tags (To:, From:)
5. Blank Folded Labels
6. Bag Toppers

Get your 2 inch scallop circle punch HERE.

{Recipe} Fancy Parfaits with Fresh Berry Sauce

Looking for something a little different to serve at your next party? My parfait recipe would be perfect for your next brunch, luncheon or even as dessert and it is SO easy to make.

Parfait Ingredients:

32 oz low fat Vanilla Yogurt
12oz granola, I recommend blueberry crunch
Fresh strawberries (cut into small pieces), raspberries and blueberries

¼ cup of orange juice

1 tablespoon Maple syrup

1/8 of a cup of water

To make the berry sauce:

Add a handful of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add orange juice and maple syrup and mix continuously. When the mixture begins to bubble, add your water to avoid the sauce from sticking to the pan. Once the mixture is of a sauce consistency, remove from the stove and allow to cool.

Add yogurt to 1/3 of your glass. Add a few fresh berries and top with the berry sauce and coat berries evenly. Add another layer of vanilla yogurt. Top with granola. Makes 4 – 6 servings

By serving the parfaits in fancy glasses such as martini glasses, they are sure to be a hit at any party! In addition, they would make the perfect breakfast on the go as well as a healthy snack that kiddos are sure to love.

{New to the Shop} Scaredy Cat Halloween Collection!

Just a few short days until October and that means Halloween is around the corner!

I have been looking forward to sharing our Scaredy Cat Halloween printable collection with you.  The printables are perfect for Halloween parties, school parties, play dates and more!

I wanted to do a twist on the traditional Halloween colors of black and orange and created a fun color palette that consists of purple, green, black and white with patterns of damask and polka dots for this collection. 

 The party tags include a black cat,  a witch's hat and a fun little spider.

  They are perfect for creating cupcake toppers, napkin rings, invitations, favor tags, gift tags, decorations and so much more!

The party tags coordinate with our printable invitation.  Simply punch and attach a party tag of your choice to the custom invitation.   Voila!  The perfect Halloween invitation.  Super easy!

Our candy stickers are a fun way to add a creative touch to your favorite candies such as Hershey Kisses, Rolos, and Mini Reeses Peanut  Butter Cups. What a neat way to displaying candy. Makes for a fun party favor! Everyone will remember the adorable candy when they come trick or treating to your home.

The Scaredy Cat Halloween Collection is now available in my Etsy Shop.

Get your 2 inch scallop circle punch HERE.

Get your 3/4 inch circle punch HERE.

{Tutorial} Tissue Wrapped Flower Favors

I want to share with you how I created flower favors made from tissue paper.  They were super easy to make and they turned out beautifully. They would be the perfect favors for weddings, baby showers, bridal luncheons and more.  The tissue wrapped flowers would add a fabulous touch to any table!

What you'll need:

Tissue paper in an assortment of colors

Mini bubble bottles or similar

clear tape

scissors

ribbon 

1. For the inner layer of your flower, take a piece of tissue paper and fold in half. 

1. 
   
   2. Then fold accordion style following the pre-made lines.

3. Cut paper horizontally in the middle so that you will now have two squares of tissue paper.

4. Take one of the squares and create petal shapes by cutting rounded edges at the top of your square.

5. Unfold your tissue paper and lay on a flat surface.  

Place a bubble bottle on the edge of the tissue paper with the bottom about 1/2 inch from the straight edge.

6. Place a piece of tape to keep paper in place.  Fold in the tissue paper on the bottom as though wrapping a gift and add tape to secure.

7. Repeat steps 4 - 6 with the tissue paper that will be the outside of your flower.

8.  Add a piece of ribbon and tie around the neck of the bubble bottle.

9.  Gently pull the tissue layers down to open your flower.

Voila!