Archive for the ‘Fun’ Category

The newest arrival of fashion on Michigan Avenue is now NY based and acclaimed Henri Bendl.  Henri Bendl is a store founded for fashion and fun.  We loved visitng with Joshua Graham one of the store’s stylists.  He explained the signature pieces, the branding, the crystals and the service to us, all while we tried on bangle after bangle, c tiger striped crystal earrings and a few hand bags.  After our purchases were secured, we lwere wowed at seeing it wrapped in the chocolate and white striped packaging and grosgrain ribbons embellished with white polka dots.  Fun, fashion and fresh!  All of our words for Bendl.

image from http://fabgabblog.com/2010/04/henri-bendel/

By Kim

Don’t deny it, we all have a list of favorite television shows that we watch every week. One of my new favorites is The Cupcake Girls. I tune in every Tuesday night. The Cupcake Girls is a great show for me because I have such a sweet tooth and so every time I watch it I want to bake! Good thing I resist the urge pretty well or else I might be overcome with enough desserts to last me a year. The Cupcake Girls is about the trials and tribulations of Cupcakes by Heather and Lori, a nostalgic cupcake franchise in the USA and Canada. Heather White and Lori Joyce are the co-owners of Cupcakes by Heather and Lori and the show tells the story of their rise in the cupcake world. It’s got everything. It has charm, whit, and cupcakes, with a lot of business savvy.

I am telling you about The Cupcake Girls to recommend that you watch the show of course, but also to fill you in on why cupcakes are so happening. Cupcakes are like little bundles of joy. They are just as delicious as a full cake, but in a better serving size, and you can get so creative with them. Yes cakes have the same ability, but it’s a little unusual to see a mound of cupcakes instead of one large cake. Cupcakes are becoming so popular because they are unexpected.

I am a creative person and so I see so many possibilities when I think about serving cupcakes instead of one big cake. You can use cupcakes as the main dessert display at any event. Birthday parties, graduation parties, anniversary parties, and even weddings are all great places to serve the little cups of heaven. You can try new flavor combinations, get a little artsy with the icing, or try a new display method. For example, you can line up your cupcakes and spell words with the icing as if it were a puzzle. For a birthday or graduation party you can spell out HAPPY BIRTHDAY or any sort of congratulatory message. You can mix icing colors and designs to create your own original cupcake to match any theme or color scheme. As a bride and groom, think about serving a tower of cupcakes instead of layers and layers of cake that would take forever to cut. Contact us here at Kim King Smith Events and we can assist you with your cupcake craze! We would suggest keeping the tradition alive though, by getting one small layer of cake for the bride and groom to cut and then having a crafty cupcake display for the rest of your guests. No need for volunteer cake cutters, the guests can come and pick up their individually wrapped dessert as they please.

Now if you still want to cling on to the idea of one big cake, consider a cupcake cake. Now you can buy new baking pans that are shaped like an oversized cupcake and matching icing topper. These pans make for an unusual cake that can add a little surprise to the party. Nobody will be expecting one gigantic cupcake! So whenever you want to be that person at the party that always brings the best looking and best tasting dessert, think cupcakes!

By Ali

Photos courtesy of:

http://www.cupcakeactivist.com/2009/07/cupcake-girls.html

http://www.thecupcakeblog.com/tag/white-wedding-cupcakes/

http://www.caketodays.com/cupcake/giant-cupcake/

For those of you whom live in the Indianapolis area, you are a bunch of lucky ducks because you know what I’m talking about when I say Ritter’s Frozen Custard. I’m not from the Indy area and so I have never gotten to experience the greatness of Ritter’s until just recently. My first time at Ritter’s I ordered one helping scoop of the chocolate banana flavor and in a waffle cone. It was a whole eight minutes of heaven! Yes, I scarfed that thing down! Now, my new favorite thing is banana ice cream. Every time I go near an ice cream parlor, I hope and pray that they carry banana ice cream. Not many of them do and that’s why Ritter’s was so delicious. It was an original treat on a lucky day! Well, some of my hunt is over. I have found a recipe for banana ice cream that I can make whenever I get a big sweet tooth. I don’t know how it compares to Ritter’s, but I think it will do.

Ingredients

4 cups half-and-half cream

2-1/2 cups sugar

Dash salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 to 5 medium)

Directions

In a large heavy saucepan, heat half-and-half to 175°; stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream, milk and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Stir in bananas. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: 3 quarts.

P.S. Drizzle with chocolate sauce if you want to make it like Ritter’s chocolate banana!

By Ali

Recipe and photo courtesy of http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Banana-Ice-Cream-2

Looking to be a fashionista this summer? Try Misa! Misa Nail Lacquer has a vibrant new line of polish that will add a punch of color to any outfit this summer. They have Krystal Water for a bluesy day, Under My Sunbrella for those sun shiny days, Mega Margarita for a day out with the girls, and Summer Love for a night out with your man. Match them to your outfit or to your mood and you are sure to catch someone’s eye. You’ll love Misa so much you’ll be asking for more. No worries, they have a spectrum of colors for any season. For now, show your true colors this summer season with Misa Nail Lacquer!

By Ali

Photo courtesy of http://www.all-you-desire.com/2011/05/ready-for-summer.html

Everyone is trying to get their hands on gold this season! Backstage at the Jason Wu fashion show, makeup professionals are layering hand painted metallic gold leaf on the back of each model’s head, just above a low, twisted bun. If you aren’t so keen on painting gold flakes in your hair, try accessorizing yourself with touches of gold that are easier to add to your morning routine. Adding a cute pair of golden earrings or a headband that has a golden broach on it will dazzle everyone. If you consider yourself a crafty person, you can easily make your own perfect headband. Mix up gold bangles and find Grandma’s gold brooch to add to your denim lapel. You can also look just as glamorous as any model on the runway with NYX’s Loose Pearl Eye Shadow in gold yellow, which will add a pop to your normal eye makeup. Go for the Gold this fall! You will dazzle everyone!

A big thank you to Jason Wu and NYX for their glamorous designs and images.

The next hot trend for the fall season is braids.  We’re not talking about the pig-tail braids that your mom put in your hair when you were five.  This sleek trend refers to an easy way to tie up your locks in a single low, loose braid off to one side that looks effortless (because it really is!).  Be sure to start your braids loosely at your neck and never above your ear, unless you don’t want to look like a kindergartener on her first day of school.  Models on Alexander Wang’s runway started wearing this braided trend in his Spring 2010 show and the trend hasn’t left.  Seriously ladies, if you have hair that is long enough, try this trend out – even if it’s just to go pick up some groceries.  You will fall in love with how quick and easy it becomes!  Maybe you will get lucky and someone will even pull your pig-tail.

PS: Kim just loves Alexander Wang!

Thanks to Alexander Wang for these gorgeous fashions and images.

Another popular trend you should sport when the leaves begin to change color is blush.  By all means, do not overdo it when you’re applying blush, but do make sure you add enough color that it definitely shows.  We love the look that soft peach tones and light pink blushes can give your soft cheeks the perfect amount of radiance.  These colors are neutrals so will blend perfectly with any makeup or wardrobe palette.

If you don’t like blush, try adding a rosy bronzer to get the fall glow.

InStyle’s little beauty tip?  Lightly apply a pink lipstick to the apple of your cheeks and blend it in toward your jaw line – we agree!  It might seem a tad bit strange to put your lipstick on your face, but it won’t wear off throughout the day and you won’t stop looking fabulous.

Thank you InStyle magazine for these spectacular tips and images.

If you have wanted to go the bold route but aren’t sure where to start, try turning up the volume of your lipstick to a punchy red.  People may think it’s a little shocking, but that’s what you’re going for, right?  In the fashion world, you’ll be super glamorous.  Our pick: Estée Lauder‘s Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick in Rich Red.  This color is the perfect way to show off your perfectly plump lips, so feel free to give away a few smooches!

Thank you to Estée Lauder for this fabulous line of lipsticks and images.

Headbands are back!  One of our staff’s favorite accessories from a few years ago is the next hot trend this season.   This time they are definitely more for the fashion look rather than  function.  Fendi has been showing a variety of colored Jennifer Behr Dinosaur headbands on the runway.  If you aren’t looking for such a bright way to draw attention to your head, you could try other headbands in black or more neutral colors that not only compliment your outfit, but your hair color, too.  Another not-so-recent yet ongoing wave of big-hair-accessories is sheer flower bloom headbands.  In order to pull off the headband look, experts say to gently place your choice of headband over loosely tied back hair for an effortless, yet pulled together appearance.  What’s your favorite?

A big thank you to Fendi and Jennifer Behr for the fabulous designs and images.