Baby Shower

Posted in pop! EVENTS, pop!BLOOMS by popbyyaz

Ballerina in Paris // Baby Shower

Girls dream of growing up to be a Ballerina who run off to Paris to live out their dream of performing at the Paris Opera Ballet. To get a head start on that journey, I created a beautiful Baby Shower for Candace + Frantz’s baby girl that featured beautiful Eiffel Towers, pretty tutus and luxe flowers.

Grab a custom made Parisian cookie and check out all of the stunning details.

pop!ELEMENTS

Event Production: pop! by YAZ
Venue: Private Residence, Club Room
Photography: pop! by YAZ
Stationary & Design: pop! by YAZ
Decor/Centerpieces/Flowers: pop! by YAZ
Tutus: pop!by Yaz
Favors: pop!by Yaz
Cake & Cookies: My Sweetest Moments
Diaper Cake: Apple’s Custom Diaper Cakes

The Decor
Candace, the mom-to-be, wanted a baby shower that was girly, beautiful and frilly. She wanted to do something Parisian or with a Ballerina theme. I, of course, thought why not include both ideas in one? I wanted the details to elude the feeling rather than be a literal translation. So while I included custom made tutus and Eiffel Towers it was used in moderation. The outcome? A pretty, luxe and chic shower to bring in her little ballerina!

Rocking Chair with Tutu
I custom made this tutu especially for this rocking chair. You can even remove it and wear it if you’re ever in the mood to prance around the house like a ballerina!

The Kids Table

I made the pink tutus for the little ballerinas.

Each favor box included a ballerina, bunny our mouse outfitted in a stylish bowtie or tutu. The box was filled with all sorts of goodies including tiaras, cameras and finger puppets.

The Kids Table
I wanted the kids to feel just as special as the adults. They had their own table with place setting, favors and Eiffel Towers. I heard they were a big hit!

Baby’s Breath floral arrangement

Floral centerpiece featuring peonies, garden roses and hypericum

The Flowers
The flowers included lush floral arrangements of Peonies and Garden Roses along with pots filled with Baby’s Breath.

The Favor
Luxurious pashminas in shades of pink, silver, charcoal and white were given to each guest.

Baby Bump Cake

Cake Pops

Custom Cookies

Baby Bump Cake

The Sweets
All of the wonderful sweets were made by the lovely Jen over at My Sweetest Moments.

The Diaper Cake
The diaper cake was custom made by Apple’s Custom Diaper Cakes. I just loved the jeweled and lacy center ribbon!

19Nov2013

Setting the Kids Table for Thanksgiving

Posted in pop! ENTERTAIN, pop! EVENTS, pop!BLOOMS, pop!TOT, pop!YUM by popbyyaz

Setting the Kids Table for Thanksgiving

When I was a kid, sitting at the kids table was like a death sentence! It was mostly because I was the only teenager amongst a table filled with my little brother and our cousins who are at least 8 years younger than I am. That feeling never has to happen again. My goal was to create a kids table even the adults would want to sit at.

With the help of Baby Bear’s friends we husked, peeled, mashed and arranged our way to our perfectly set table giggling all along the way. You too can make the kids table a fun place to be with tons of activities to keep the pop!TOTs happy and busy.

Check out the details below!

Wrangling these girls was challenging! They were so excited about everything they had accomplished and were literally jumping for joy.

We cooked a Cornish Hen to look like a tiny turkey. One Cornish Hen will feed four little ones.
They loved picking at the fruit it was garnished with.

The pop!TOTs loved these hot chocolates with chocolate shavings.

Ahaana and Liana husked the corn.

Peeling potatoes is not easy, but it made them appreciate the process and felt accomplished once they completed the task.

Chef Baby Bear in action.

The girls surround the sink to mash the potatoes. The pot is in the sink because it was hot.

Liana mashes the potatoes and Brookie photo bombs her! lol

The girls partnered up and created flower arrangements for their table. We cut and gutted squash and used silk flowers for the centerpieces.

Liana was so proud! She’s looking like a mini Martha Stewart.

The table is set.

Brookie and Mehar’s arrangement. Can you believe? How beautiful!

Liana and Ahaana’s arrangement is stunning!

A closer look at the table setting.

The girls finally get to enjoy the fruit of their labor.

The Food.

The spread.

The girls chat and chew.

Mehar sipping on her hot chocolate.

15Nov2013

Adventures at The Pumpkin Patch

Posted in pop! EVENTS, pop!TOT by popbyyaz

Adventures at The Pumpkin Patch

You know it’s going to be an interesting day when your honey thinks going to the Pumpkin Patch is a trip to the local super market to pick-up a few pumpkins. Yes, I gave him the side eye, but I truly do believe he was joking. I mean, YOU WERE JOKING….. right?!?!?!?

So, we jumped in the car and headed to Alstede Farms which is about 1 hour outside of NYC. Alstede Farms was founded in 1982 and cultivates over 600 acres of land in Chester using sustainable and certified organic farming methods. Apples, Peaches, strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, pumpkins, many specialty vegetables, corn and tomatoes are sold at their Route 513 retail market daily. The farm has over 13,000 square feet of greenhouses. Pretty darn cool!

We of course went for Family Fall Fun Day where we got to pick our own pumpkins and enjoy many of the activities listed below. This is a perfect day trip for the family to enjoy.

Giant Firefighter’s Corn Maze
Pick Your Own (PYO) activities
Hayrides
Giant Hay Pyramid
Long Hay Tunnel
Farm Animals
Bunny Run
Goat Walk
Pony Rides
Moon Bounce
Wagon Train Rides
Corn Kingdom

So what do do with all of our pickings? See upcoming posts for many great ideas!

Enjoy!

Check out the website for additional details.

Alstede Farms
84 County Route 513 S, Chester, NJ 07930

GPS : 1 Chesterfield Drive, Chester NJ 07930
(they are directly across the street from this location)

The ride to Alstede was just beautiful with all of the colorful leaves and pretty houses along the way

Climbing this haystack is actually harder than it looks.

We made it to the TOP!!! Why is the Baby Bear doing a pageant wave??? lol

The hayride to the pumpkin patch was about 5 minutes and it provided a quick tour of the grounds.

Too cool for school.

Us acting silly.

Note to self… don”t wear cute sneakers. Your shoes will get dirty!

The Hayride

We scored with some great pumpkins!

The Great Pumpkin Patch

Can you beieve this is their Corn Maze?!!? It’s called “Five Alarm” honoring their firefighters

Cute little bunnies.

My little farmer.

The final crawl out before we departed.

The End!

14Nov2013

A Few of My Favorite Things // Birthday Brunch

Posted in pop! EVENTS, pop!YUM by popbyyaz

A Few of My Favorite Things // Birthday Brunch

I can’t believe a full year has passed since my BFF’s birthday! Happy Birthday Fallon! This story is dedicated to the surprise birthday party I had for her last year. Picture it! It was 2012 and we in the Tri-State area were still trying to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Her boyfriend and I were trying to secretly plan a party, but none of us even had electricity! We kind of lost hope and he decided to take her to dinner elsewhere. I just HAD to do something for my BFF as so many years had passed with no celebration. Rain, shine or hurricane it was on!

Literally, 2 days prior to her birthday my electricity came back on and the invitations went out. We surprised her with an Ice Skating date in Central Park – favorite thing #1 then followed up with brunch at my house. She had absolutely no idea we had this planned and it was such an incredible day filled with friends, fun and laughter!

Explore all the custom details below!

pop!ELEMENTS

Event Production: pop! by YAZ
Venue: Private Residence
Catering: pop! by YAZ
Photography: pop! by YAZ &
Invitations: pop! by YAZ
Centerpieces/Flowers: pop! by YAZ
Cake: pop! by YAZ

I thought the gold, peach and orange colors were perfectly Fallon. Soft and pretty, yet bold and makes a statement. Beyond that it was the best way to include her ultimate fall obsession – PUMPKINS!
PS. If you look really close you will see I also added a gold knitting needle to the centerpiece.

I had to include these giant balloons and I tied the metallic gold streamers to create a tassle.

The Decor
My goal was to surround Fallon with all of her favorite things which includes Autumn, pumpkins, flowers, books, owls, books, sparkle, interior and fashion design. It’s a lot to get in, but I think I nailed it! The Birthday Girl was pretty pleased!The Cake
I customized the Caramel Spice Cake with a measuring tape to pay homage to Fallon’s love for fashion design and various Autumn flowers and branches.

Caramel Apple Parfait with Apple Cinnamon Granola
Mini Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Banana and Walnut
Bacon Skewers
Spinach, Feta and Turkey Sausage Frittata
Chicken & Waffles
Parmesan Hash Cups

Caramel Apple Parfait with Apple Cinnamon Granola

Mini Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Banana and Walnut

Spinach, Feta and Turkey Sausage Frittata

Caramel Apples

The Food
I had fun creating little versions of her favorite brunch foods. Everything was mini and made by little ole’ me!

The Mimosa Bar
The Mimosa Bar featured
Apple Cider garnished with an Apple Ball
Pomegranate Ginger garnished with Candied Ginger Crystals
Spiced Chai Tea garnished with a Cinnamon Stick

9Nov2013

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash // Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Posted in pop!YUM by popbyyaz

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash // Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This afternoon’s post was inspired by a recent trip to my local Walmart where I happened to come across a box of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Say what???? Could I really make these delicious and buttery, cheesy treats myself… at home?!??!?! Not since my high school years in the Bronx have I even had these. I didn’t like seafood when I was younger – I KNOW!!!! Can you believe? When my parents “went out” they would go to Red Lobster and bring these guys home. The question now is, could I recreate that moment of yummyness? The answer? YES! Yes, I absolutely could!

Go grab yourself a box and make this quick little meal at home. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser and possibly even bring back some Red Lobster memories!

Enjoy!

Cut Sweet Potatoes

Dice all of the ingredients.

Cook the sweet potato

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Biscuits fresh out the oven.

Top with butter. I know you are salivating, because quite frankly I just had my own moment!

Ta Dah!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash // Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

pop!INGREDIENTS

SWEET POTATO & TURKEY SAUSAGE HASH

2-3 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 Cup Turkey Sausage
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
1 Jalapeno, diced
1 tbsp Olive Oil

RED LOBSTER CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS

1 Box Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix
3/4 Cup Cold Water
1/2 Cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/3 Cup of Butter

SALAD

Mixed Greens
Cucumbers
Tomatoes

pop!DIRECTIONS

BISCUITS

The directions are on the box.
No, seriously… Read the back of the box.

HASH

Cut up and dice all of the ingredients.
In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
Once heated, add diced sweet potatoes. Add a pinch or two of salt and/or garlic to the pan.
Cook sweet potatoes until cooked and softened. I prefer my sweet potatoes to be slightly browned.
Add the sausage. Mine was already pre-cooked, but if you are using uncooked sausage I would reccomend cooking the meat prior to the sausage or prepare in a separate pan.
Add the onions and jalapenos and stir occasionally for a few minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

8Nov2013

Treats at the Tasting Table Test Kitchen with Patrón XO Café

Posted in pop! STORY, pop!OUT&ABOUT, pop!YUM by popbyyaz

Halloween Treats at the Tasting Table Test Kitchen with Patrón XO Café

EVENT// Halloween at the Tasting Table Test Kitchen with Patrón XO Café
VENUE// Tasting Table Test Kitchen
CITY// NYC
DATE // October 30, 2013
PHOTOS// Alyssa Ringler via Tasting Table

Being part of the Patron Social Club has its perks…yummy perks if I must say so myself. I received an invitation to this must-attend Halloween tasting at the Tasting Table Test Kitchen. They promised “spooky cocktails and seasonal canapés” and sure enough they delivered!

My BFF Fallon, who you may know from Sage & Sparkle, joined me for this Halloween jaunt. Sans costume, which we questioned… I mean, how awkward would it have been being the only ones in costume???? Luckily, we saved ourselves from that moment! Upon arrival to the space, we climbed the two flights and although I was out of breath (don’t judge me) I could smell the glorious food penetrating through the door. We excitedly walked through and it was like walking into a friend’s home. You know… extra toasty, filled with foodies and dimly lit. We walked straight back to the bar where we met Barnard the bartender who graciously made us two decadent cocktails featuring Patron XO Café. Sipping our cocktails we gazed into the magnificent kitchen watching the chefs prepare our meal. We swooned and dreamt about having such a kitchen in our own homes one day. Truth be told, I think Fallon and I would just gut an apartment and make it one BIG ASS kitchen if you left it to us, but apparently people need places to sit, bath and sleep. Ugh!

Tasting Table’s executive Chef Brendan McHale sent out a variety of treats for us kiddies, but our favorites hands-down were the Gnocchi and the Hamachi! Fallon – I smell a new post cooking up! Overall, it was a wonderful evening with a delicious spread. I could have stayed all night and ate away, but the server was onto us as we strategically placed ourselves by the kitchen so we could have access to the food first – ha! Thanks to Patron Tequila & Tasting Table for the wonderful evening out!

Check out the menu and photos from the event below.
Additional photos can be found on the Tasting Table Facebook Page.

PS. There are no photos of me and Fallon because apparently I did not have the appropriate lens. It was super dim and truth be told, after my first (and not last) plate of that Gnocchi I gave up on the photos! lol

ENJOY!

Patron XO Café Coffee Liqueur combines Patron Silver Tequila with coffee to create a slightly sweet, full-bodied liqueur for tequila and coffee lovers alike.