Sunday, June 19, 2011

Our Blue Angel Sent From Above

I'll start off by stating this sweet little post is dedicated to some of my favorite people in the world. Some of whom I hold near and dear to my heart, plus one. A few months ago, we received the wonderful news that Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez would soon be expecting. Soon after we discovered it was a boy and immediately thought of the adorable aviation inspired "Blue Angel" nod as requested by the baby's father in honor of his very own father, my Uncle. With such a charming and appropriate theme, I let my heart lead the way.

New mommy, Jeanette (which in these pictures was still mommy-to-be) has proven to me time and time again how wonderfully carefree life can really be. From the very first day we met, I knew there was something very special about this little lady. Fast forward a couple of years and she is the most beautiful momma in town!

It was an all ladies shower held at the Miami Springs Country Club with an abundance of tasty appetizers and choice of entree followed by a delighful table of desserts.



And lets not forget the sweet and tart blueberry infused wine concoction for the non-preggered women.

A dedication table for our Blue Angel himself.

As with all details, I received tons of help from my mother and sister in law in assembling (and tasting). These mini peanut cones were not only a perfect little treat but originally thought of as "flight snacks" to go with our pilot inspired theme.


The lovely and perfectly fitting cake was created by a very talented friend, Sandra Cordero of Sweet-Tooth Cakes and Cupcakes. I simply gave her an invitation and she did the rest, exceeding our expectations not only in design but in pure deliciousness as well.

The mini whoopies, Oh My! These dangerous little bites were easily assembled by Sash and I with just a dab of vanilla flavored icing and vanilla wafer cookies.


The rest of the sweet treats included powdered donuts, icing covered pretzel rods, chocolate wafers, blueberry and lemon pies, blue swirled lollipops, almond filled chocolates and m&m candies...mostly mini-sized for minimal guilty indulgence.

It was a gorgeous and dearly devoted day to this beautiful family I am privileged to call my own. Below are a few of my favorite pics honoring not only the pretty momma while rocking the aviator shades to go with our theme.

The baby daddy (sporting his Blue Angels tee) alongside his favorite cousin in WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD, me :)


And last, a close up of my own personal detail and piece of heart I carry too.
In memory of my uncle Luis Julian Rodriguez. Thank you for giving us all your love, knowledge, support and best of all sending us a little part of you to remind us of it all.


Vendor Credit:

Venue- Miami Springs Country Club
Photography- Sasha de Almagro Photography
Cake- Sweet-Tooth Cakes and Cupcakes
Printouts- Big House Multimedia

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Dear Dad, this one's for you...


A little late on this post since dad's birthday was a wee bit ago, nonetheless, I found it to be most appropriate to blog about since we're on point with father's day coming up. Those who know me personally know very well my obsession with a few things, people in particular include my nephew and father. Both drive me crazy and both bring me great joy. With that said, I'd like to share this event from my own family scrapbook with all of you.

With a castaway theme inspired by "The Old Man and the Sea", I used elements such as sand and seashells to play with the brown and blue nautical color scheme.

For food we created dishes such as ceviche, shrimp enchilado, black bean with corn salsa and chicken mango chutney to tie-in with the tropical, beachy vibe. As with the decor, I used subtle touches of old world map serving trays as well as boxes wrapped in map paper too. As for the adorable paper boat idea, well that I can't take credit for since it came from Mrs. Crafty herself, Martha Stewart.

And then there were desserts...a little overboard with these (no pun intended). Some were homemade, others store bought, overall it was a rather large selection of sweets ironically served on a diabetic man's birthday.


Being that the birthday boy is a BIG chocolate lover we went with not one, but two chocolate cakes and creamy chocolate mousse. For those who were not fans of the dark indulgence there were mini key lime pies (courtesy of my sis-in-law and photographer) lightly chocolate dipped cookies sprinkled with coconut shavings, fresh fruit, rice pudding and warm cappuccinos, all which helped keep a nice sugar buzz throughout the night.



It was a lovely evening for all but I think for him and myself it was far more than just another birthday gathering. Because as big (old) as I am, I am still daddy's little girl. While growing up it was his belly I slept on and his shoulder I tugged, pulled and cried on. From his stories and life experiences to the memories we've shared as a father/daughter duo, I've learned he is everything I've ever wanted to be. He is my reason for living and loving all I know, so for him I celebrate it all.

I hope this serves a little inspiration in planning a special day for all the daddies in your life too.

Happy Father's Day, Papi.

Photo Credit - Sasha de Almagro Photography