D-I-B-Y (Do-It-Beautifully-Yourself) Tower

I have been baking cakes and cupcakes for a couple of years now for my small business (www.facebook.com/solennidreams), and I've realized that many of my clients are interested on not just what I bake, but how these cakes are presented on a tower.  Because I cannot do these set-ups all the time, I thought it would be helpful to give some tips on customizing a tower.

This is a plain Wilton Cupcake Tower.  

What I like about it is that it's made of durable plastic, very easy to assemble and collapse, and quite easy to clean-up.  Like this, it is kind of a drab, yes?  But with a little creativity, you can customize this tower in less than 30 minutes, an hour tops, probably.

Recently, I dressed-up this tower for a Dora the Explorer event.  I thought of giving it a Cinco de Mayo vibe, but more on the chic side.

TIP: Try to use what is at hand.  I had colorful parchment paper so I cut them into strips, and then used double-sided tape to attach them to the sides of each tower tier.  Any other type of wrapping paper or ribbon will work just fine.  The middle 'pipe', I covered with fuchsia napkins.  For the top part, I used a paper cup, covered it with the same parchment paper, and accented it with Abaca string.

Here's where I get whimsical.  I make flowers by ruffling the same kind of fuchsia napkins I used on the tower 'pipe', and sticking them on the lollipops.

With Solenni Dreams cupcakes, this tower is ready to rock n' roll. :)

This same tower has been used in two other themed parties, too.  Check out how accessorizing it differently completely transforms it to fit your party theme.

Monsters Inc. Tower

Toy Story Tower

Happy customizing!

♥ riri

Bitten By the 'Love BAG'

Solenn's Easy 'Out-the-Door' Preps:

1.  Dress-up (and it is a fight for her favorite dress almost all of the time)

2.  Put on favorite pink headband

3.  Decide on complimenting footwear (READ: Tsinelas) 

Quite inevitably, this 3-step process has been revised to 4, the 4th one being --- Grab the perfect BAG!

Like many little girls her age, Solenn has been fascinated with all sorts of bags lately.  I love them too, because I've realized how  pretty they look as accessories.  Even with plain clothes, but with the right bag, the totality of a look is amped up.

Russian Doll Bag (Accessorize, Trinoma)  --- I've always liked Accessorize for the rich, vibrant colors they use in their items.  This bag has enough space to store wipes, a diaper, an extra top, and a mini-alcohol bottle. :)  It's kind of like the 'small bag' we used to have in school.

Lovebird Crossbody Body Bag (Accessorize, UK) --- Who wouldn't want a bag that doubles as a pet hanging (literally) with you all day? :) The sequined tail feathers and dangling feet details are very endearing.

Lefty the Dog Lunch Bag (Gourdo's) --- It's insulated! (Definite plus points.)   This bag is so simple in design, but it captures a lot of whimsy.  I like that the zipper is playfully placed along Lefty's mouth.

Mike Wazowski. Mini Canvass Bag (By Mommy Riri :) )  --- This is actually a hand-sewn loot bag from Solenn's 3rd birthday party (party preps on a future post) that she likes using when she plays 'market'. Since it is made out of canvass (katsa), washing is a breeze.

TwoodleBAGS / Cup Set (by Ellie) ---  This 'Hot Cocoa' bag just tickles your imagination. It is the bag that you would not see anywhere else because my cousin, Ellie (the other half of Twoodlebugs) sewed it herself.  

Hot Cocoa Bag --- I like the vintage feel of this bag.  Right away you see that the fabrics and ribbons are well thought-of and put-together.  The stitching is meticulous, and it is even lined inside for extra protection. You know what Solenn's favorite part is?  The dangling marshmallows on the zipper. ;)  (Hey, a girl's gotta have mallows with her hot cocoa, right?)

The Hot Cocoa Bag is available now for orders at the promo price of P399.
Just email twoodlebugs@gmail.com for inquiries.
More Cup Bags to come in the next post

♥ riri

Embroi de Ri

School days are just around the corner and it is a mad dash for moms, dads and excited kids to tick off every material requirement on their checklists. Since most of my daughter Solenn's stuff are coming from her school, I actually get to chill it out this year.  On the downside, uniform school bags, lunch bags, grooming kits, socks, soap bars (no, not really soap bars :P) can feel stifling.  Since hankies are items that we can buy for ourselves, I thought I'd spruce up Solenn's school ensemble with hand-embroidered ones.

Coming up with a design was not so difficult, especially since lately, Solenn has been quite interested in tea parties.  I drew a tea cup and a tea pot on the corner of a white hanky, and used it as I guide as I sewed.

Since I was kind of rusty on stitches, I stuck to what I know (thank you, high school Home Economics!) and used simple ones --- basic backstitch for the outlines, and lazy daisy for the design.

How about a cupcake to go with tea? (Either that is one bug cupcake, or that is one teensy-weensy fork.)

After tea, it is advisable to walk with your pooch. In STYLE. :)

Three embroidered handkerchiefs, plus two with tea party prints = 5 happy school days in a week. 

♥ riri