Pepper Design Blog

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Lollipops

A girlfriend of mine recently threw an adorable 1st birthday party for her little girl. I debated for a while over what dessert I could help contribute… the end of summer called for something fresh & delicious, and my schedule for the day called for something easy & quick (I made the birthday girl’s first chocolate cake that morning – so my time crunch was tight!).

Chocolate dipped strawberries would be amazing – but where to find those beautiful big strawberries with the full stems (often the brand used for dipping) last minute? After digging through my cake decorating  box and coming across a bag of white lollipop sticks, I found the perfect solution.

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Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Pops

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Ingredients: strawberries, lollipop sticks (from your local craft store), foam for cooling, chocolate chips, 1 tb. butter per 12 oz bag of chocolate chips & rainbow nonpareils (round sprinkles)

1. Poke each lollipop stick through the stem end of your strawberries. When your entire batch is ready, pop them into the freezer to keep the sticks from loosening (an hour or so should do it).

2. Warm your chocolate chips and butter over a double broiler until melted (stirring constantly). Prepare your sprinkles by pouring into a small bowl (shallow enough for dipping).

3. Dip chilled strawberry lollipops into chocolate and immediately into sprinkles. Poke right side up into foam to harden. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

I’m working on DIY artwork for the bedroom now… it includes an old dresser mirror, cork and a vintage map. It’s a neat project! Stay tuned.

Homemade Ice Cream & Build-Your-Own Sundaes

This party is adorable! When Tiffany sent over the pictures of her daughter’s recent birthday, I was so excited to share all of the handmade details.

First – I love the theme of an ‘Ice Cream Party’, to date my all-time favorite dessert is good old fashioned cookies ‘n cream (is that the pregnancy talking?), but second – the simple and sweet designs are pure homemade and perfect for a celebration of any sort.

From the very amazing ice cream banner {check out a close up after the jump}, to the basic and delicious homemade ice cream recipe {you won’t believe the simple ingredients} to a break down of children’s party hosting tips {must-do’s for the craziness of a kid’s party} Tiffany shares great advice and pics from the party over at Simply Modern Mom.

More details include: a very clever handmade pinata, astronaut ice cream favors in a homemade package, ‘Here’s the Scoop’ invites and custom calligraphy, and of course DIY goodie bags to take all of those pinata treats home.

More photos after the jump! (Including a close up of that adorable ice cream cone pinata and banner.) Read more »

{Vintage Carnival} Inspiration

Designed to offer a vintage spin on a carnival-themed celebration {bright colors, pinwheels, paper rosettes, ribbons…} this party is full of inspiring ideas. The very first thing that caught my eye was the bright pastel colors that adorn everything from the handmade ribbon table runners to the swinging two-sided paper rosettes.

Chris over at Celebrations At Home featured this beautiful Style Me Pretty photoshoot a while back and I loved every detail.

The dessert table is beautiful, and simple treats such as popcorn cones, store bought cookies (just add the custom icing) and covered apples make a delicious spread.

Personalized carnival invites pull the theme together, as do the white ceramic animals and the vintage decor that’s casually mixed in.

The above easy ribbon runner and set of handmade rosettes tops the list for favorite details. I created a similar backdrop and table decor out of paper pinwheels/rosettes for this vintage nesting shower and loved the result – they’re very easy to whip up and always look great!

Shoot designed by Moira Events with photography by Tangerine Tree Photography.