BRONZE BUDGET BRIDE

These cupcakes are so cute and if your kids love Finding Nemo as much as my kids do, they will be thrilled to help make and eat these cupcakes.

Here's what you'll need: Directions:

1. From the fondant, slice a 3 1/2- by 2-inch block, a 2 1/2- by 2-inch block, and a 1 1/2- by 1-inch block. Leave the largest block white, and wrap it in plastic for now to keep it soft. Knead orange food coloring into the next largest block and black into the smallest.

2. Working on powdered sugar-dusted sheets of wax paper, roll out each of the three fondant colors to about a 1/8 inch thickness.

3. 

   From the white fondant, cut out one large 2 3/8-inch circle and two 3/4-inch eye circles for each cupcake.

4. 

   Use the 3/8-inch cutter to cut a circular opening in each of the eye circles, positioning them right of center, as shown.

5. 

   Use the same cutter to cut eye pupils from the black fondant, and gently press them into the openings in the white fondant.

6. 

   Next, cut out a 2-inch circle from the orange fondant for each cupcake.

7. 

   Using the 3/4-inch cutter, make eye holes in each orange circle, positioning the hole to your right slightly higher than the other.

8. 

   Fit the fondant eyes into the holes. Then use the tip of a toothpick to make a tiny hole near the edge of the black fondant where each eye glint will go. Gently press a white sugar pearl into each.

9. 

   To finish assembling the fish faces, moisten the top of each large white fondant circle with a small drop of water, and place one of the orange circles on top.

10. 

    Use the toothpick to gently etch curved eyebrow and mouth lines in the fondant. Then use the smallest cutter to cut very thin curves from the remaining black fondant, and set them atop the etched lines. Lightly press down on them with the toothpick until they stick in place.

11. Slice the domed top off each cupcake to create a flat surface. Then frost the cupcakes. Set a fondant fish face on top of each one, pressing down gently with your palm to stick it in place.

Find the recipe here on Spoonful.com!

These dresses are beautiful and will be easy on your bridesmaids' budget too because they cost just $29.99! You can buy them here at Bronze Budget Boutique but hurry because supplies are limited!

Sea Green Bridesmaids Dress With Embellishments - $29.99




Black Bridesmaids Dress With Embellishments - $29.99




Coral Bridesmaids Dress With Embellishments - $29.99




Royal Blue Bridesmaids Dress With Embellishments - $29.99

Whether it’s your health or hopes of that Wedding Dress you are dreaming of, cigarettes are damaging; yet electronic cigarettes have changed everything, and will help save that extra money towards your wedding day.

We all know that our wedding day is one of the most important days of our lives so finding the money to create your dream day is vital. You may have already cut down on your shopping and luxurious holidays but the answer to your savings could be staring you in the face.

Whether you’re a social smoker or a 50-a-day smoker, those addictive tobacco-filled cigarettes will set you back a few dollars. However, if you switch to e-cigarettes, you could save up to 80% compared to regular cigarettes. Imagine how much cash you could save for that all-important wedding day or even honeymoon. Apart from saving you money, electronic cigarettes will remove that potent and disgusting tobacco scent from your mouth so when it comes to saying your vows, you won’t knock your partner out.

Vapourlite’s Electronic Cigarette range is available in four fantastic flavours - menthol, tobacco, cherry and creamy vanilla as well as four nicotine strengths. Just choose the cartomizer refills that suits you best, screw it onto the battery and start vaping. Not only do these incredible e-cigs taste good but they feel light just like an actual cigarette. So when you’ve got butterflies and pre-wedding nerves, you won’t have to risk your hair getting messed up in the wind because you’ll be able to get your nicotine hit without having to dash outside for a puff.

So push the boat out and upgrade to a picturesque five star hotel on the beach for your honeymoon because you’ll be able to afford it in no time, if you decide to change your extremely expensive habit and choose Vapourlite’s revolutionary, tobacco-free electric cigarettes. You and your partner will be well on your way to living a long, happy and healthier life together.

Honey Boo Boo's mom, Mama June is seen above in a Camouflage Wedding Dress. If you love this dress, find a similar one at Camo Formal...below are a few of my faves.

Full Camo "Sue Ellen" Pickup Halter With Train - $499.00




Madeline Hi-Low Wedding Dress With Train - $465




The Rebecca Wedding Dress With Roses - $580




A-Line Full Camo Bridal Dress With Long Train - $435

In the deli section of your local supermarket you'll find a variety of party platters for you to choose from and they usually start around $15! Well, if you look closely at what you get for your money, I am telling you that you can pull together at least two eye-catching, hearty and tasty platters for the price of one.

To start, you can get trays for just $1.00 at a local Dollar Tree and then it's just a matter of being creative while you are filling them.

This beautiful platter is filled with ham and turkey slices that you can pick up at Walmart or a specialty store for under $3.00 for a pack with 25 slices. The Oscar Mayer brand is tasty and still affordable if you are not sure what to buy. For cheeses, I love Kraft but buy a cheaper brand at Aldi's that tastes just as good. So, you can save even more by buying a store brand.



The last wedding I attended had these wraps on the menu and they were gone fairly quickly. They are simply made with soft tortilla, rolled with slice turkey, ham, salami or roast beef. The green is usually lettuce, spinach or avocado in some cases. To create a vegetarian wrap you can use lettuce, tomato, cucumber, spinach and/or any veggie you think would be a tasty addition, but it easy to roll!

Once you have all you need, it's just a matter of layering, rolling, cutting and stacking till you're done.

In the fruit platter, above, you'll notice that there are watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple, orange and kiwi. You can get a good deal on fruit at your local Farmer's Market so keep that in mind.


I am all for a good veggie platter and they don't require much to make them look appetizing. The colors alone make them stand out but add a tasty dip and your crowd will be happy.

I love these mini subs. I made some for my family just this past weekend and they loved them. I spent less than $10 and we ate our bellies full.  Walmart sells the breads you will need to make them for under $1.75 each. I made ours with cheese, pepperoni, slice ham, lettuce and slice pickles on French bread. It was a great combo and I highly recommend it.

The sandwiches are filled with tuna salad, egg salad, cheese spread, etc. You can find great recipes online at Recipes.com for the filling and if you cut regular slice bread in four, you can fill a tray with sandwiches for under $10.

If you'd rather just buy the platters, you can find these at a Publix near you starting at $24.99!

This cake is so beautiful that I just had to post the recipe that I found right here on Sprinkles Bakers.

Maraschino Cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 tablespoons flour for sprinkling over diced cherries
• 10 oz bottle maraschino cherries, finely chopped
• Drop or two of red food coloring, or Americolor Deep Pink food coloring gel *optional
• 4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Grease two 7” spring-form pans (or one 9”) and line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.   In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder .  Combine milk,cherry juice and almond extract, and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed.  Note: It’s okay if the cherries still have a little juice on them after this. 
4. Stir cherries into the batter.  Stir in food coloring if desired
5. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter.  Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.   Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

1. Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
5. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
6. Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
7. Add the vanilla extract.  Divide batter and tint with food coloring, if desired.  I kept a little un-tinted frosting out to pipe around the edges of the cake. To achieve my favoriteblue/green tint, I used a dot each of Sky Blue and Kelly Green Wilton gel food colorings.
8. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
9. Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

Serves 8-10      

Note: The heart topper is a piece of gum paste with a piece of clean, unused floral wire inserted through the center. The surface was brushed with corn syrup and dipped in multicolored sprinkles.

photo sources: shexists.com, weheartit.com, picyou.com, Etsy,
female.by, bridalwave.tv, naturalhairnamix.blogspot.co.uk, troll-the-interwebs.tumblr.com, mynewhair.info

 

If you are making your own wedding favors or having a cookie buffet, these cookies are easy to make and so very cute, so I've added the recipe below for you!!

Ingredients

• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon(s)salt
• 1 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar, for decoration
• 1/2 cup(s) seedless raspberry jam

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture just until blended. Shape dough into 2 disks; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Between 2 sheets of floured wax paper, roll 1 disk 1⁄8-inch thick. With floured 3-inch heart-shape cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Cut out centers of half cookies with floured 1 1⁄2-inch heart-shape cookie cutter. Slide cookies on wax paper to another large cookie sheet and refrigerate about 15 minutes, or until firm. Remove heart-shape centers from cookies; place cookies on prepared sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Cool on parchment paper on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps.
3. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies with cut-out centers. Spread 1 teaspoon jam on each plain cookie; top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches.

courtesy of delish.com

This Chocolate Mousse Parfait Recipe that you can find here on mychiclife.com look sooo delicious and I love the presentation.

What You’ll Need:

• Mini Parfait Glasses w/ Demitasse Spoons
• Ribbon
• Chocolate Mouse – see recipe below
• Chocolate Brownies – Crumbled into Pieces 
• Fresh Whipped Cream – See Recipe Below
• Chocolate Bar – shaved for garnish

Directions:

Start with a layer of crumbled brownie pieces. Next, put your mousse into an icing bag (or a ziploc and clip one corner off for a makeshift pastry bag) and use to fill each parfait glass 3/4 of the way full. Now add fresh whipped cream and garnish with shaved chocolate. Use the ribbon to secure each spoon to the parfait.

 

Rachel’s Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
• 12 ounces quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 ounces of strong coffee
• 4 Tbls of butter
• 1 Tsp of plain gelatin

Directions:

Chill 1 1/2 cups whipping cream in refrigerator. Chill mixing bowl (metal is best) and mixer beaters in freezer… The colder the better

 

Use a double boiler to combine chocolate chips, coffee, and butter. (If you don’t have a double boiler, use a metal bowl atop a pot of simmering water, just be sure and use a pot holder, the bowl gets hot!) To melt stir constantly over simmering water. Remove from heat. Cool, stirring occasionally to just above room temperature.

Measure out 1/4 cup whipping cream and sprinkle gelatin on top. Gelatin needs to sit for 10 minutes. Stir mixture into the cooled chocolate and set aside.

In the chilled mixing bowl, beat whipping cream with mixer on medium high until medium peaks form (this will take at least 10 minutes so get ready for an arm workout!). This Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

 

Very carefully fold in the remaining whipped cream (I do these in three or four separate turns so I don’t over mix).

 

Homemade Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Add in some fun flavor, Kahlua, Chocolate, Orange extract have some fun with this and surprise your guests

Directions:

Add the whipping cream, vanilla extract and other flavor extract (if desired) with an electric mixer until peaks form. You’ll know it’s ready when your peaks hold their shape.

Find the recipe with photos here on My Chic Life.

It’s not a secret that brides want to look their best on wedding day and as part of their per-nuptial ritual, many brides get a facial to ensure that their skin look it’s best on wedding day.  However, brides tend to indulge in a facial a week prior to wedding day however brides-to-be can look their best during the months leading up to wedding with La Prairie at Beautique.

La Prairie is one of the top, luxury, skincare brands in the world. Its products are designed with ingredients to fight the signs of aging and activate the skin’s metabolism. The White Caviar Illuminating Cream is light to the touch yet it will leave your skin glowy and moist all day long. It will hydrate, dehydrated skin and give your face a lush feel. It will also lift, firm and even the tone of your by slowing down the production of excess pigment. You will look bright, fresh and youthful before you know it. People will be giving you compliments not only on wedding day but just after you begin using the White Caviar Illuminating Système. The longer you use it, the better your skin will look, so you will be stunning on your wedding day.

If you’ve got dark spots, you will look flawless on wedding day if you use the White Caviar Illuminating Serum. You won’t need to hide your dark circles under a pile of make-up and if you’ve got sensitive skin, you don’t have to worry again about using harsh chemicals to get rid of them. Laser treatments may remove some of the marks temporally but the Illuminating Serum stops discoloration before it begins. You don’t have to worry about looking years older because of uneven skin tone. Even age related spots or tough acne marks will disappear as your skin gets firm, hydrated, smooth and soft.

On your wedding day you want to be eye catching not get attention for having dark circles under your eyes and that is where the White Caviar Illumination Eye Serum comes into play.  Sometimes you need more than a good night’s rest to erase those dark circles. Sometimes genetics are to blame, age or even allergies. The light-infused eye serum helps clear and stop dark spots from forming on the skin. It detoxifies, nourishes, brightens and lightens the darkness of the skin which leaves your under eyes free of dark circles.

Your skin will look better than it had in years once you start using La Prairie - White Caviar Illuminating Systeme. So, skip the facial and use it to get that wedding day glow.