Pink? Yes please!!

Got this from the best "all things cake" blog: My Cupcake Addiction.

The color does make for some seriously pretty desserts. Keep reading for 14 of the prettiest pink colored desserts you'll ever see.

Pink Ombre Cake

By Love From The Oven

Pink Cake Ball Truffles

By Mama's Gluten Free Cake Balls

Pink Zebra Striped Oreos

By Sweeties By Kim

Neon Cookie

By Made by Rachel

Pink Velvet Roulade

By Sprinkle Bakes

Strawberry Brownies

By Eat Cake for Dinner

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

By Flour Pants

Frozen Chocolate Raspberry Pie

By Pillsbury

Mini Pink Ombre Cakes

By Meaningful Mama

Strawberry Cool Whip Cookies

By Yummy, Healthy, Easy

Cotton Candy Meringues

By Sprinkle Bakes

Pink Rice Krispies

By Good Thymes and Good Food

Cotton Candy Mousse

By In Katrina's Kitchen

By Betty Crocker

Christmas in July!

Picobello has been cooking and baking away for some catering functions lately- and while we can't put up pictures of the food- we can give some great ideas for you to hold your own event. And what better way than a Christmas in July?! Sometimes we just need a reason to call up all our friends and family and have a great time together, so this is the perfect excuse.

Now I know what you are thinking- I don't have the time (or the energy) to host and event- all that cooking and decorating and cleaning, and then there is the expense. Don't stress- to make thing easier for every one- give each family/ couple/ guest a food item they must bring for the day.It's kinda like the sophisticated version of a bring and share! You can even plan the menu and hand out the recipes to each person. And decor comes out of your already large collection of Christmas items or discounted Christmas items still available at the shops. As long as there is lots or red and cheer to go around, everyone will have a great time!

Now for some menu ideas:

Starters

Butternut soup served with crunchy croutons and swirled cream

Exotic mushroom risotto

Blue cheese and walnut salad

Beef tortellini served with cream truffle sauce

Mains

Honey glazed gammon

Stuffed turkey

Mustard roast beef

Sweet roast pork leg

Greek lamb (lemon and garlic)

Crispy roast baby potatoes

Butter sage rice

Moroccan couscous

Glazed carrots

Brown sugar roasted butternut

Seasonal roast vegetables

Pumpkin pie

Stuffed peppers

Bacon brussel sprouts

Garlic string beans

Delicious gravy

Desserts

Chocolate brownie Christmas hats

Fruit cake served with custard

Brandy pudding with whipped cream

Caramel cheesecakes

Trifle cups

Christmas ice cream sundae's

Now that you head is swimming in delicious ideas- go forth and plan!

Wedding Cake Toppers

There is something about the grand wedding cake at any wedding- the excitement of biting into a delicious slice or cupcake, the flavour chosen,  the fancy decor, the colours used and the personality of the couple shining through it all. For this reason, the cake topper can be just as important as the cake! It's a great way of portraying the "personality" of the newly weds and to top off a grand cake with an even grander element.

So for this reason, I thought I would explore some of the new ideas out there. Long gone are the days of the plastic bride and groom stuck at the top out of tradition, the little faces a dime a dozen. We live in an age of art and freedom of expression- no need for your cake to not share the same!

All of the pic's in this blog are from wedding companies oversee's- they are always on the front footing when it comes to events. But if you think you can't get something similar here in sunny South Africa- you are seriously undermining the artist we have in this country. Especially sugar artists!!

So have a look at all the pic's and know that what ever you may like or want for your big day- CAN be done. You just need to know the right people... and thank goodness you saw them on Picobello's blog because we ARE just those people!

Enjoy!

xxx

Kiddies parties... The joy of it all!

I absolutely love doing kids party's- they are just the best! To see the joy on the kid's faces, the amazement at all the food, sweeties and activities. On the adult side, however, they can be stressful- your house filled with screaming, dirty, hyper active kids that you need to look after and entertain. It can be quiet a handful. That's why I decided to write this post- for some tips to get through the day and not need a whole bottle of wine that evening!

Tip number one: Keep them busy!
 Look at hiring a jumping castle (only for kids over 3, it's a bit lost on the younger ones).
Have some for of activity- colouring in is great, puzzles for older kids, video games if indoors.
You can also do a themed pinned the nose on the donkey, musical chairs, or treasure hunt.

Tip number two: Keep their tummy's full
Kid's are so busy running about and playing at party's that they often don't eat. Have small snack items on the tables that they can grab and eat in between. Mini burgers, hotdogs, pizza's, etc. Don't get too fancy or the kids wont eat it. Also keep them hydrated!

Tip number three: Party packs
My theory is a party pack is your revenge on the parents for having to look after their child for the whole day! But they are a nice idea and have become expected of late. There are so many app's for creating artwork- download one and design a nice sticker for your party packs and then fill them with a few sweeties.

Tip number four: Birthday Cake
A must for every party! This is one place parents often go over board and end up wasting money. Remember if your child is younger than 4, they won't really appreciate a work of art cake that costs and arm and a leg. Get a nice slab cake with a picture of the birthday child printed on (now done at most baking stores), or an ice cream cake that can double up as dessert.
For the older kids you can start having some fun- and boy are there some amazing cakes that can be done! Even cupcakes are a great idea, but be warned, you will be wasting your money if you do both cupcakes and a big cake- Rather do then a cake for the kids and cupcakes for the adults.

Tip number 5: Take into account the weather
It really is a bummer when a great outdoor party is planned in July. Take the weather into consideration and make sure you have a back up plan if your party in in between seasons. Chances are, Murphy's law, it will rain, it will be cold on the day. etc. So make sure you have something in mind for bringing all the kids indoors, or getting a gazebo or something. There's nothing worse than having all these great activities planned and then none of them can be done because of the weather and then the kids sit bored inside the house.

Tip number six: Hire a party planner!
If your kids party includes lots of family and the whole playschool and neighborhood block- take the stress off yourself and get someone in to help. They can supply the kiddies tables, chairs, organize the jumping castle, birthday cake, food, etc. Have a budget and tell them what you want to spend, they might even be able to do more with your money than you could have because they buy in bulk and you wont have extra wastage.

I hope this helps with your next birthday celebration! 

And remember- we celebrate birthdays for the joy of life- don't loose sight of that!

15 Wedding cake trends

Found this great article by Lauren Kay from "The Knot" website- a great wedding website that I use often for inspiration and ideas.

If you are trying to decide on what to do for your wedding cake, with just so many options out there today- then give this a read. Even if it's just steers you in a certain direction, every bit helps!

So after your mouth waters at these delicious cakes, give us a call at Picobello Events and we will make your dream cake come true!

15 Hot Wedding Cake Trends

Just about anything can inspire your wedding cake design -- the beautiful ornate molding in your ballroom venue, your joint love of modern design, or even the pattern from the china you just registered for. Here, a few trends to help inspire your custom cake. (Your baker can help with the rest.)

1. PHOTO BY CLY CREATION; VUE PHOTOGRAPHY; CLY CREATION

   Metallic Cakes

   Metallics are big for stationery, and for wedding cakes as well. "We’re not talking about a gold and silver vintage style, but more a stylized glam, art-deco, old-Hollywood look," says Betsy Thorleifson of Nine Cakes in New York City. The best part about metallics? They can adapt to any style; delicate embroidery in gold feels opulent while geometric shapes give off a fresh, modern feel. If an entire tier is too much glitz for you, consider adding a little sparkle all over. Fine edible glitter (think: pixie dust) can add a decorative sheen to your cake without overpowering the whole design.
2. 
   PHOTO BY KORTNEE KATE PHOTOGRAPHY; PHILIP FICKS; ELIZABETH ANN PHOTOGRAPHY

   Ruffled Cakes

   For a seriously elegant look, skip the bold patterns and add-ons in favor of subtle embellishments with allover sugar ruffles. The look is light and airy and needs very little added detail. Finish it off with fresh flowers in between each tier or a few sugar flowers on top. "Frills are at home in every type of reception, from avant-garde to country chic," says Maggie Austin of Maggie Austin Cake in Alexandria, Virginia.
3. 
   PHOTO BY BRINDAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY; ROEY YOHAI PHOTOGRAPHY; HEATHER ROTH FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

   Naked Cakes

   Yep, you read that right. With the deconstructed cake, you get to show off the inside. For a summertime wedding, berries work well; in winter and fall, ask your baker to fill the layers with seasonal fruits, like apples, pears, persimmons or even blood oranges. "The exposed cake and filling of the naked cake appeal to both the eyes and the stomach," says John Rusk of Alice’s Tea Cup in New York City.
4. 
   PHOTO BY MEREDITH PERDUE; AMANDA KOPP IMAGES; DEVON JARVIS

   White-on-White Wedding Cakes

   A white wedding cake is always in good taste. The fresh new way to do a white wedding cake is to add interesting all-white embellishments. Dress up tiers with details, like piped embroidery or jeweled embellishments (we love petals or even pearls). "Nontraditional shaped tiers, like hexagons and ovals, make the cake a little more out of the ordinary," says Jen Roberts of Sweet Element Cakes in East Orange, New Jersey. Cascades of sugar flowers are great for adding dimension too.
5. 
   PHOTO BY MAGGIE AUSTIN CAKE; LOLA ELISE PHOTOGRAPHY; MAGGIE AUSTIN CAKE

   Painted Wedding Cakes

   Take a cue from what many invitation designers are doing and ask your cake baker to get a little artsy with your cake design. We're talking marbleized cakes, stained-glass painted cakes and even Monet-inspired wedding cake designs. Pair those hand-painted tiers with solid-colored layers or even simple flower accents. Quick tip: For a cake design that's so intricate, keep the tiers simple and stick to all one shape (either all classic round tiers or all square).
6. 
   PHOTO BY ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; K. COREA PHOTOGRAPHY; KRISTI WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

   Lace Wedding Cakes

   Experienced cake bakers are turning out tiers decorated with beautiful designs, reminiscent of the most gorgeous wedding gowns imaginable -- like yours. "A lot of brides are looking for patterns copied from the lace in their dress, or their china pattern," says Sylvia Weinstock, of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes in New York City. So decide which detail from your dress to highlight on your cake, from a few simple sugar-made buttons to ivory and white fondant lace appliques wrapped around each tier. The key to pulling it off is in the color. This trend works best with light hues and little contrast.
7. 
   PHOTO BY JEFF LOVES JESSICA; SIMPLY BLOOM PHOTOGRAPHY; KATELIN WALLACE PHOTOGRAPHY

   Woodland Wedding Cakes

   Earthy, whimsical wedding themes are hot this year, so it’s no wonder this same aesthetic is big for wedding cakes too. “Millennials are much more into having the taste of the cake be as good, if not better, as the look of the cake," says Amy Noelle of Sugar Flower Cake Shop in New York City. To get the look, choose an edible white or ivory color and accent it with fresh or lifelike sugar flowers and leaves. The display can really help you carry out the look here too. One pretty idea is to order a simple white cake and place it on top of a wooden tree ring decorated with moss and leaves.
8. 
   PHOTO BY PHILIP FICKS; WHITE-KLUMP PHOTOGRAPHY; LISA HUBBARD

   Geometric Wedding Cakes

   For a contemporary reception setting such as an urban loft, eye-catching patterns – squares, chevron, stripes – are a fun, fresh twist. "We're seeing a lot of fondant triangles rather than dots," says Mary Maher of Cakegirls in Chicago. A few places to find inspiration: your wedding invites, the ready-to-wear fashion runways and home design blogs and stores. One guideline: Stick to a simple color palette (think: orange and white or purple and white), so the colors don't compete with the design.
9. 
   PHOTO BY RIVERBEND STUDIO; LAURA MURRAY PHOTOGRAPHY; HOT METAL STUDIO

   Rosette Wedding Cakes

   The rosette trend -- with textural sugar-made roses all over the cake -- is fun because the added dimension is different and unique but the look is still elegant and beautiful. One caveat? The color. Stick to white or ivory rosettes. (Allover light pink rosettes will look too juvenile.) Jan Kish from La Petite Fleur in Worthington, Ohio, also cautions against using rosettes on a single tier. "You have to make sure you balance that textured layer with something else so your eye doesn’t get stuck there."
10. 
    PHOTO BY JOHN ARCARA; PHILIP FICKS; KATE MATHIS

    Sugar Flower Bouquet Cakes

    Flowers – fresh and sugar-made – are practically synonymous with wedding cakes. The new take on wedding cake flower accents is to cluster sugar-made flowers into a mini-bouquet. "The key is to create a balance of size, shape and color," says Paloma Efron of Coco Paloma Desserts in Austin, Texas. The flower bouquet works best on a muted cake base color, like ivory, peach or mint. Finish off the tiers with a gold or silver metallic trim, or even a beveled lace treatment, for a look that’s simple, sophisticated and classic.
11. 
    PHOTO BY MARK LUND; PHILIP FICKS; DEVON JARVIS

    Illustrated Wedding Cakes

    Did you know you can actually have anything you want printed onto your cake? It's true. Pick anything you like -- from the design on your invites to the quote from your first-dance song or even your wedding motif, like a bicycle, oak tree, or anemone flowers – to have showcased onto your cake tiers. First, the cake gets covered in fondant, then the design is hand-painted on the cake. "I love the fact that it can look like a classic painting or a piece of modern art, depending on the way it's painted," says Olga Lee of Polkadots Cupcake Factory in Austin, Texas.
12. 
    PHOTO BY PHILIP FICKS; KRISTEN WEAVER PHOTOGRAPHY; MAGGIE AUSTIN CAKE

    Ombre Wedding Cakes

    Having your cake colors take on an ombre effect is another artful cake design idea. It can be as whimsical or glamorous as you like. Blend yellow to orange sugar hearts for a graphic, modern style; or go red to pink to light pink with cascading sugar-made flower petals. "Whether you're drawn to a rich saturated hue that transitions to a mid-tone or a barely there tint that fades to white, the possibilities are endless," says Maggie Austin of Maggie Austin Cake in Alexandria, Virginia. On the fence about the trend? "Consider an ivory ombré for a classic look that's both subtle and stunning," Austin suggests.
13. 
    PHOTO BY JOHN CAIN PHOTOGRAPHY; ELEVATE PHOTOGRAPHY; SIMPLY BLOOM PHOTOGRAPHY

    Buttercream Wedding Cakes

    If you're going for a homespun, relaxed vibe, ask your baker to smother your wedding cake in delicious buttercream frosting. "We get lots of requests for rustic iced buttercream layers with flecks of vanilla bean in the icing or textured piping that looks and tastes delicious, but isn't perfect," says Mary Maher of Cakegirls in Chicago. For the more polished version, opt for buttercream with a pleated, smooth finish.
14. 
    PHOTO BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) SHERRY HAMMONDS PHOTOGRAPHY; SWEETWATER PORTRAITS; PEN / CARLSON

    Wedding Cake Trio and Quintet Tables

    Cake trios, quartets and quintet tables come with a couple big benefits. For one, a large cake table like this gives you the opportunity to create a visually stunning display at your reception, which means you get another place to show off your wedding colors and theme. Another perk: Having more than one cake also makes it very easy to choose multiple cake flavors (so you don't have to decide between traditional vanilla, decadent chocolate or carrot cake with cream-cheese frosting). "Guests love to have a mini-bite of lots of different desserts," says Melody Brandon of Sweet and Saucy Shop in Newport, California. Give guests choices, but don't overwhelm them. "I recommend between two to four mini-desserts per person," says Brandon. "Try not to choose more than eight options of desserts—too many choices can overwhelm your guests."
15. 
    PHOTO BY KATE MATHIS; ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; STUDIO 306 PHOTOGRAPHY

    Monogrammed Wedding Cakes

    We're not talking about the typical monogrammed cake topper. The idea here is to design a cake made to highlight your new shared monogram. A few ideas: a hand-drawn monogram in a scripted style on a beveled gold sugar plaque or a rustic sugar-made plaque, or a patterned monogram on a square cake for a modern look. "When used in a repetitious design around the cake, the monogram becomes a pretty pattern, except to the discerning eye," says Jan Kish of La Petite Fleur in Worthington, Ohio.

https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-cake-trends

Invitations. Some useful guidelines.

So you're planning your event, everything is set in your head- the place, the time, the theme, the delicious food. Now to make sure people actually attend your great event!

Here are some guidelines on what to have in your invitations, how soon they should be sent out, how to address "sensitive" issues (like who isn't invited!) and so on and so forth...

1. The actual invitation

Choose something you like, but remember to stick to your theme. This will be your guest's first "interaction" with your event. Standardized stationary can save you lots of money as anything out of the ordinary size would have to be especially made. Make sure your type-font is easy to read and avoid light colours and metallic colours as those tend to be hard to read.

It's always a nice idea to add in a little something the guests can put up to remember the event and the upcoming date: a magnet, photo-clip or picture, just something small.

E-vites are becoming more popular but are easiest to control for small weddings and events. When you have more than 80 people invites, rather have them printed and delivered.

2. When is too soon or too late?

Be sure to get your invitation out at least 6 weeks before any big event (like a wedding) and if the venue will require accommodation, look at at least 3 months so people can book and plan their stay.

You can send out the "Save the date" up to 8 months in advance, but that leaves room to people forgetting. So I suggest a good 4 to 6 months beforehand for a "Save the date".

For smaller events, remember that people's calenders book up quiet quickly, so make sure you are at least 3 weeks in advance.

3. RSVP's

The absolute bane of any event is the RSVP's and lack there of. Make sure the RSVP date allows you time to phone up people who haven't responded and to double check on some details. Take into account when you need final head counts for the venue and your caterers, they normally need 2 weeks before the event. I suggest a good 3 if not 4 weeks before the event for RSVP's- after all, only once you have that can you set your seating plans and finalize invoices and such. 

4. What information to include

Cover the basic 5 W's- Who, what, where, when and why.

Who is invited: Kids? Partners? Plus one's?

What: A wedding, a 50th, a kiddies birthday?

Where: Venue (and possibly include a map). Be sure to give the actual address of the place and not just the name of the venue.

When: Date and time

Why: To celebrate!!

You can also put in dress attire, gift registry's, special mentions and requests

And now my favourite part... Pictures!!