Family Ties

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's a collection of Thanksgiving and autumn themed cookies we did for the winners bidders on an Oh, Sugar! certificate for a charity auction.  Indian corn, pumpkins, acorns and turkeys and that traditional autumn color palette. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

Autumn Wedding Spread

Over. The. Top.  This dessert table was for an insanely gorgeous wedding held at the Monaco Mansion in Santiago Canyon.  The only guidelines were that it be elegant and autumn inspired.  But not the acorns-fall-leaves-and-cornucpoias kind of autumn.  Just the palette should be fall inspired using chocolate brown, champagne, deep burgundy and a hint of orange. Within those parameters, we came up with this beautiful and  delicious spread.  Enjoy these gorgeous photos from Frame 36 Photography.

Fresh raspberry topped brownie bites.

Rose topped Nutella-filled cupcakes.

Cupcake detail.

Oreo truffles.

Miniature French macarons.

Toffee coated double chocolate cake pops.

And finally, we created these sweet sugar cookies of the bride and groom as the take home favors for the happy couple's guests.  You can read more about them here. Congratulations again, Vanessa and Dennis.

Mr. & Mrs. Sugar!

Forgive me.  This is my super self-indulgent post. As I just wrapped up the Sangria and Spanish Lace wedding and am about to start designing a dessert table for an elegant fall wedding, it struck me that MY wedding was the first real event I'd ever planned.  So I pulled together some pictures to showcase our very DIY wedding done on a budget. We had about 65 guests at the charming Tivoli Terrace in Laguna beach, where the Pageant of the Masters is held.  Chocolate and robin's egg blue along with a sweet little vespa icon where the recurring themes. My husband loves all things motorcycle and I love all things Italian so it was the perfect marriage - pun intended.  So here's a glimpse of the real Mr. and Mrs. Sugar (albeit a little younger and a lot thinner).  I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking a stroll down memory lane.

DIY invitations

Groom's boutonniere.

Something old: vintage locket with pictures of dad.

Simple white hydrangea arrangements.

Budget bride steal - Ebay dress: $250

Something Blue: "Happily Ever After" embroidery.

The most difficult part of the wedding.  Finding wedding shoes that weren't heinous.  These satin d'orsay Stewart Weitzmans had just enough glitz to get the job done (for about an hour before I had to kick them off).

Single ladies in the wedding party signed the bottom of my wedding shoes.  The first name to be danced off the sole is the next to wed!

DIY wedding programs.

Wedding card mailbox.

Something new: pre-ceremony gift.

"Angela, You truly are the love of my love.  I'm so very thankful you'll be my wife.  I promise to love you every day.  All my love, Brad."  Oh, Mr. Sugar.  He's a keeper.

DIY flower girl basket.

A childhood friend performs the ceremony.

You may now headlock the bride.

Husband and wife!

Favors: home made cookies and a toy vespa.

Silly ice breaker quiz.

The newlywed's table.

Something borrowed: mom's cake topper.

No cake was smashed in the taking of this picture.



First dance.

The band gets in the action.

The groom's parents renew their vows.

The flower girl in heaven.

The end.