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Events

School of Styling comes to Evia Lifestyle Center

If  you enjoy entertaining and throwing parties, and you live in the metro, I am sure you have heard of  The School of Styling. 

Usually, SOS holds their workshops in the north. Mostly, I see them in Makati, and while I don’t mind going to Makati for events, unfortunately, my schedule just has not coincided with some of the events that they have held in the past.

Luckily, last week, I was able to join one of their FREE workshops here in the south at the Evia Lifestyle Center. It is super close to our place, and some of my friends were going to be there as well, so I was really looking forward to the time we would have together learning more about how to style our own dessert buffets at home.

Indy Ycasiano is the creative half of School of Styling while she has a business partner who does the logistical, marketing side. Together, this tag team momma duo has churned out a series of events and workshops that every DIY’er would surely benefit from. Plus, we all know that DIY’ers like doing things together too! It’s where we find our inspiration…with each other…

If you would like to style your own dessert buffet at home the first decision you need to make is whether you would like an ASYMMETRICAL or SYMMETRICAL table.

Gelli's first birthday dessert buffet is a great example of an asymmetrical table.

Gelli’s first birthday dessert buffet is a great example of an asymmetrical table.

Even if my dessert table is asymmetrically designed, I still kept the cake as the focal point.

After all, the cake is the star of the show!

Our theme for Gelli's first birthday was based on a poem by Neil Gaiman, called Blueberry Girl.

Our theme for Gelli’s first birthday was based on a poem by Neil Gaiman, called Blueberry Girl.

 

Isn’t this one beautiful? It was just as delicious as it looks too. I loved that I was able to collaborate with Joanna from Cuppy Puppy for this dessert table too! She is amazing! She gets really busy though, and understands the balance between life and work balance, so if you don’t book her in advance, she might not be able to fill your order.

 

 

Attending the first @schoolofstylingph workshop in the south! There are slots still open for the afternoon workshops (2:30pm & 5:00pm) here at @evialifestylecenter. But sign up early bc slots are limited ? • • • #schoolofstylingph #thelittlewhisk #shedreamsinink #diy #dessertbuffet #southsnippets #cake #sweets #vistacity #evialifestylecenter

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Michelle Aventajado (@mommanmanila) on Aug 23, 2016 at 7:58pm PDT

This photo from the day of the event at Evia Lifestyle Center, shows what a symmetrical table would look like. 

But no matter whether your table is symmetrical  or not, it is also important to not overload your buffet. You want to put a small sampling of all your desserts without putting all your 150 cupcakes on the table. You can make this easier on yourself, by having waiters or house help refill your sweet treats as the party goers enjoy the desserts.

You must remember, your dessert buffet is a showcase so, less is more.

Indy also shared that she finds it easier to sketch her table first. This makes so much sense doesn’t it?

You can achieve an even nicer look for your table by using different serving platters of different heights. 

image

This simple dessert table for Gia’s Red White and Blue themed birthday party was a combination of home made treats and caramel apples from Palms Country Club.

Don’t you just love how the different heights of the desserts give the buffet so much more depth? You can read more about how I put this birthday party on the piece that I wrote for Rappler to share my DIY tricks.

Even from afar, the eye is drawn both up by the tissue pom poms, and down by the custom ruffled table cloth.

Even from afar, the eye is drawn both up by the tissue pom poms, and down by the custom ruffled table cloth.

Another way you can add height is by using items you can hang from the ceiling or on the wall. This draws the eye up as well. Think flowers, tissue balls, balloons, or even candles.

I think with any dessert table planning and executing the idea is to Keep Calm and Carry On. We don’t want to get overwhelmed. This can mean collaborating and using different vendors for your desserts. Or this can mean something as simple as not putting everything out on the table all at once.

Here are some more tips when putting together dessert buffets large and small.

1.Consider your tablecloth/fabric. Use something interesting that fits with your theme. 

P1010348copy

Photo Credit: Janelle Barretto Squires

For example, for Gia’s 11th Birthday Party in the Mad Hatter Theme, the dessert table and dining table were all in one. I made tea sandwiches, bought a ton of tableware from Dapitan, ordered snacks and sweets from Palms Country Club and Cupcakes by Sonja, and borrowed the table cloth and accessories from Sonja as well. Doesn’t the black and white diamond tablecloth fit the theme perfectly?

2. Look for Printables ONLINE. There are lots of sites where you can download FREE printable clipart, or even ready made cellophane bag toppers and cupcake toppers. If you want someone else to do it for you, you can visit Ace Printing in BF Homes.

I was so thankful that my friend Vangie, was there to help me set up the dessert buffet. Sometimes, we just need a little help from our friends to execute great ideas!

All the printables from the stickers on the bamboo spoons, the cello bag toppers for the cookies, and the stickers for the lollis made my life so much easier because the online seller delivered them straight to my home! Photo Credit: KSnaps

You can also check out this Halloween post where my friend Tina found some printables online that she adjusted to fit what we needed for the collaboration on the dessert table.

3. It’s easy to add buntings and garlands that will add a bit of whimsy texture to your table. You can make these ahead of time, or order from Party in a Box from Maricel over at A Sweet Cottage. 

 

Elephant sweet treats buffet?? #asweetcottage #dessertbuffet #elephant #happywork #thankful #blessings

A photo posted by Maricel Mendoza (@asweetcottage) on Feb 15, 2015 at 1:00am PST

If you are feeling crafty and have the time, this is something you can do by yourself too!

4. Every dessert table has to have a backdrop. This backdrop can be the wall itself, if it has a detail that fits your theme. Or it can be made from plywood, pegboard, canvas or styrofoam. If you have a pipe and drape system you can just change the cloth according to your themed colors and reuse them again and again.

This is that same Halloween themed dessert table I did for the SoMoms one year that I mentioned up above where Tina created printables that coincided with our theme.

Here is what we came up with using the above peg for our inspiration.

This table was a collaboration between Gia, myself, Tina and Cai.

Thanks to the help of my friend Maricel (again) Gia and I were able to just use plain black cloth to pull this spooky look off.

Truth is, I always enjoy putting dessert tables together with the help of others. Everything is more fun with friends, right? Usually, Gia and I decide what we will bake to supplement what ever cake we will order. But even in the smallest of details, sometimes I need help from my friends. 

Check out the dessert buffet our team put together with all the readily available styling accessories on hand :-)

Check out the dessert buffet our team put together with all the readily available styling accessories on hand 🙂 Photo Credit: SOS

If you are planning to create your own dessert buffet at home, I have put together a small list of vendors that I love to use for our parties and gatherings. I have ordered from all of these wonderful bakers personally, and can vouch for the work that they do. I am a firm believer that what we like to eat should be equally as pretty as it is yummy. 

And, if you live in the south and are into doing things yourself? aka a southern DIY’er??? 

You should definitely check out the next sessions of the School of Styling at Evia Lifestyle Center. 

Oh. And if you do visit Evia, make sure to check out Another Story. We had lunch there after our workshop with the girls and I thoroughly enjoyed my Salted Caramel Cheesecake.

https://www.facebook.com/School-Of-Styling-Philippines

For Sugar Cookies and Cake Pops:
The Little Whisk

Desserts:
Pastry Armoire
Cuppy Puppy
Cupcakes by Sonja’s

Flowers:
Flowers By Aga

DIY Party in a Box:
Maricel Mendoza of A Sweet Cottage

For Printables, bag toppers, poster and more:
Ace Printmaster in BF Homes

Fun Paper Products and crafty supplies:
Paper Chic Studio

Photographers:
Jay Santos Photography
K-Snaps
The Little People 
Photography by Lianne

 

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Clean and fresh flavors are perfect for these smaller birds that are rich in protein with zero carbs. Try the recipe in the comments section. I’m sure you’d enjoy it as much as I did!
 
Interested in U.S. Cornish Hens? You can buy them in stores near you. #CornishHen #USCornishHen #PoultryPerfection #CookingWithUSPoultry #USPoultry #USAPEECPHL #ad
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Anyone else thinking about #HolidayPhotos? I am not one of those moms that has it all together before Christmas. It’s usually a mad dash for us at the end of the year, but if it’s anything that the past few years has taught me, it’s that the little things are what makes the Christmas special.

Many of us haven’t been together with the extended family or even our immediate family in so long. That means it’s the perfect time to document.

@nextbymetrophoto will be hosting one last Christmas Marathon family photo shoot before the end of year. Check them out or shoot them a message. They have some cute set-ups.
****GIVEAWAY ALERT*** 10 things I LOVE about @sed ****GIVEAWAY ALERT***

10 things I LOVE about @sedahotels listed here and on FB!

1. Each property has a Signature Dish. If you can’t make it to Bacolod, you can still enjoy Chicken Inasal in any of their properties.

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7. Work with ease. Internet service is uninterrupted. Meeting rooms are available and easy to book.

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Thankful for work that doesn’t feel like work. Thankful for work that doesn’t feel like work.

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Such a great musical!

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@gelliaventajado joined our family and led me to @bestbuddies. 

Thankful for all the ambassadors who were able to spend time with us. And for @smlpeeps  and @asurionphcareers for helping make magic happen on Saturday afternoon for #Friendsgiving.

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Thank you to Chef @ivoryyat for putting together a medley of my favorite fall flavors. This combination of apples, sweet potatoes, and maple syrup perfectly compliment  the roasted turkey leg and remind me of flavors and scenes from back in New York. 
 
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