Sipping Cappucino

To kick off my daughter, Sarah's Birthday weekend we decided to explore a new bakery downtown, called Tart Sweets, located inside a perfectly restored historic home on Fifth Street's Millionaires' Row.

Isn't it posh?

Just wait 'til you see inside!

Absolutely breathtaking architectural details, inside & out - everywhere you look.

The opulent rooms were bathed in sensational bright sunlight, so it felt warm and toasty despite the bitter cold & winter wind outside.

We reveled in the luxurious surroundings.   It felt so relaxing to sit there sipping our perfect cappuccinos, chatting away, nibbling treats.

A feast for the eyes, as well as your tummy.  We decided to share a huge hunk of something called Cookie dough Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Bar.  O YUM!

Those cupcakes sure looked enticing.  I meant to order one of those pretty heart shaped macaron but it slipped my mind.

Whenever I go to interesting places I like to try to imagine what it would be like to work in there, especially lately, since I've been job hunting.  It seems like it would be amusing to bake treats and make espressos for people in a gorgeous setting like this.

Here's what I like:

Awe inspiring views! I have an appreciation for architecture.  

And whenever I'm fortunate enough to get to spend time relaxing with my daughters, it is The Best!

I especially like to admire a good column.  These gorgeous Greek Ionic specimens exude ambiance.

There are 3 large romantic rooms for guests.  I read in Winston-Salem Monthly that they are planning to serve sandwiches and open a tea room in the future.  Can't wait to go back!

Afterwards we traveled further downtown 

to Mooney's Mediterranean Cafe for lunch.  

Sarah ordered falafel, which are deep fried chick pea balls, and these were so good, nice and crunchy.  I decided to get something different on the menu, something I hadn't had here before.  I ordered the Mousaka, which I was told was different than Greek Moussaka.  Their menu describes it as
"Eggplant, whole chickpeas, and onion stewed in a rich spiced tomato sauce."  It was incredible!  I'm still thinking about how delicious it was.  I'm sure I detected the flavor of cinnamon.  I wonder if I could try to recreate it at home?

I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful afternoon with my girls.  

You know it's going to be a good day when you find a terrific parking spot on the street Downtown and you manage to parallel park with ease.

Who Doesn't Love a Great Party?

I adore celebrations of any kind, big or small but especially Weddings.

I'm a fool for Romance ♥  

Recently, my daughter's BFF, Alex got married at Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC.  Isn't she gorgeous?

I had the honor of helping make her day special by decorating, as well as attending.

The Happy Couple, Alex & Matt.

Isn't this photo fun?

If you are looking for a fantastic photographer in NC, contact Ali, of

Ali Albertson photography  

She's an absolute DoLL & I highly recommend her

♥

I created this display of stacked refurbished vintage suitcases paired with a new one from Michael's.  Looks retro sweet and serves as a repository to hold all the cards the new couple received from their guests.

I Love the way pink green look together, my absolute favorite color combination.

The Bride wanted these pretty cupcakes displayed on cake stands to double as part of the table centerpiece decor as well as tempting the guests to help themselves to a treat.

These IKEA lanterns were purchased last summer for my daughter's wedding table centerpieces.  

They are such a great price!  {$15 for the large 17" lanterns and $8 for the 12"}  

I wanted them to look different for Alex's wedding so I added pink organza ribbon tied in a bow around the LED pillar candles, silk flowers and ferns, butterflies and bird's nests for an enchanting spring look.

I used my Sizzix to cut/ emboss paper butterfly accents in blush pink, lavender, silver metallic and gray flourish print.

It's my dream to have a party/ event planning business specializing in vintage rentals & creative, whimsical decor details.   I've been hosting all kinds parties of my own, for my kids & our friends.  And it is through their support and encouragement that I think I have the courage to make a GO of it!

Next on my agenda is creating a separate blog for posting about the parties & events I have done in the past and future {Let's be positive!}  Then making a logo & business cards.  It's all very exciting!

Thank you to anyone that can offer some tips, guidelines or insight into forming your own business.  I am grateful for any & all the feedback.

I would Love to hear about some of your Favorite parties that you have attended.  What was it about them that made it so special or memorable?

Xo
Michelle