We are tickled pink!.....and yellow and grey

I am been neglecting my facebook and blog over this summer but I assure you...I have reason!  Let's first say that pregnancy and summer are never the ideal combination.  I will say, I did have a great summer with my son.  Doing some pool play dates and park outings.  I tried my best to keep up with him while melting in the sun.  I can't say I am sad to see the cool breezes coming our way.  It is a welcomed change and just means we are much closer to meeting our baby GIRL! 

I've been busy this summer preparing her nursery with lots of homemade touches.  Then my computer decided to quit on me and I had to shut down my Etsy shop for three weeks waiting for it to be fixed.  I was definitely not pleased with having to wait that long for my computer to be fixed.  It's a brand new computer so it was frustrating to see it need such a big fix.  I can't say I didn't appreciate the forced vacation.  Great, quality time with my son and a chance to just slow down and enjoy the sunshine (well...enjoying it under the shade). 

I wanted to share with you all what I did with the nursery.  Pink is not my color of choice.  So, I knew I wanted to try something different but still feminine.  I saw a great bedding set at Target that is yellow and grey and knew that was it.  Love Target!  From there, I decided to throw in splashes of pink since the all yellow and grey palette was looking a little too dull. 

My grandpa had made me for me when I was younger, a white display case to look like a house. I can't remember what I had displayed so I painted tiny wooden dolls to sit in there for now until ELLA begins to collect her own little things she wants displayed.

I also made a little hoop art with fabric appliqued mary jane shoes.  Oh, did I mention I also got back into sewing this summer?  Talk about nesting!!!  I hadn't sewn in over 15 years and bought the machine, hoping I would open the box and just remember all what I had been taught....and I did!  Well...mostly.  I'm not going to show you the bibs I made!  They will work but aren't the most beautiful things out there.

The yellow mama and baby birds on the shelf match the bedding perfectly.  I was so happy to have discovered those.  I spray painted the frame pink.  Spray paint is the best!  If you find something you like in the wrong color, just spray paint it.  I also spray painted the ornate oval frame that I found at IKEA.  Add in some yellow fabric and you have a custom piece!

So....with the arrival of baby number two coming in October, I will be closing down my Etsy shop from October 1st until January 2nd.  I want to thank all of you that have supported my business over the past three years.  There is nothing like doing what you love everyday. 

Mini Desserts - Blueberry

Summer brings along its warmth and enjoyment of outdoor activities.  It also brings us so many great fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy.  I want to do all I can to enjoy them to their fullest while they are at their peak freshness.  Blueberries and strawberries top the list for me.  Maybe its making smoothies or adding some strawberries to a biscuit with a dollop of whip cream....oh, now that is a perfect and sweet ending to a warm summer day.  Today I am bringing you some inspiriation on using fresh blueberries for those summertime desserts.  Enjoy!

Top Left : Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes Top Middle: Mini Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake Top Right: Blueberry Crumble Bars Bottom Left: Lemon Blueberry Bottom Right: Blueberry Cream Tarts

Italian Bakery Birthday Party

When it comes to throwing parties, themes for little girls and boys and even us ladies, are easy to come up with.  Really it's hard to narrow it down to just one and then we eagerly await until the next one comes up.  But when it comes to our men, our husbands, boyfriends, brothers and dear friends....thinking of a manly party theme...ugh...I would rather do my taxes. 
My mom wanted to throw my step-dad a 60th birthday party and of course enlisted me to create a dessert table.  I had the hardest time thinking of a theme.  My step-dad has a Harley, but I wanted something a bit different and kid friendly as well.  When my mom mentioned she was ordering all the hot food from Mama Mia's in Plymouth....italian food...italian desserts...oh!  It came to me!  I started thinking about bakeries and their great storefronts with their striped awnings and windows filled with sugary delights.  And with my step-dad being Italian, I knew he would get a kick out of it.

I told my husband how I thought it would tie the whole table together to have an awning on the table...but how to do it?  Thankfully, he is one clever (and helpful) husband!  We went to Lowes and spent about $7 in PVC piping to erect the frame.  I was not able to find any red and white striped fabric so I purchased two yards of a red gingham fabric and hot glued it to the plastic frame.  My husband attached the piping to a scrap piece of wood we had in the basement and then we clamped it to the table.  Very easy and such a great idea if you are planning a party with an ice cream theme.  I actually gave it to a guest at the party who will be using it for her son's circus themed party. 

I ordered most of the sweets from a local italian bakery.  We kept the birthday man in mind with ordering a carrot cake (a personal favorite) and I included some black licorice jelly beans.  Also a personal favorite of his.  His mom saves all the black jelly beans when Easter comes around and give them to him.  They are too cute!

Chocolate covered oreos, personalized with '60' were a big hit with adults and kids.  Since not everyone is a carrot cake fan...including myself, adding in the oreos and some chocolate whoppie pies, it was a table sure to please everyones sweet tooth.

Chocolate Oreos Pops from Sweeties by Kim

In keeping with the Italian theme, I added in some 'Happy Birthday' flags in Italian.

I could have eaten all of these...

No Italian bakery is complete without cannolis!

Expecting!!!

To all my dear followers...you may have noticed some radio silence in the past 6 weeks or so.  I have neglected my blog and my facebook page so I can keep with up with my Etsy shop and the day to day of life.  It's been a little bit more to handle the past six weeks mostly due to the fact that I am expecting baby number two this fall!!

Keeping up with my day to day orders, my two year son and trying to get dinner on the table has just been about all I have been able to find energy for lately.  But I feel like things are improving.....today was the first day I didn't feel the need to crash on the couch for two hours!  The grass is growing, the sun is out and the windows are open!  All good signs that I am ready to get back up to speed and start showing myself around here more.

I hope you all are having a lovely Spring and gearing up for some fun Summer times ahead.  I have lots of parties designed in my que that I look forward to photographing and showing off in the next couple of months.

Baby number two is coming the end of October and I am not sure of the impact it will have on my business.  I absolutely love what I do and I love that there are those of you out there that love it too!  I'm not sure if I will be hiring anyone to fill in while I take a maternity leave for the last three months of this year.  But until then, I hope you enjoy what I am able to bring to you for the next five or so months.

Thank you all for your support!

Five Years Ago....remembering my wedding

Well, if you live in the Northeast, you know it's been a long and very white winter.  We eagerly await Spring and what comes with it - green grass, fresh flowers and warm breezes.  I love the first week of March.  Though it's still Winter, I feel like Spring is just around the corner.  It's also a great time for me as I celebrate both my birthday and my wedding anniversary.  I decided to go through all my wedding photos and couldn't stop staring at all the photos of the flowers!  I have a little collage below of some of my favorite details shots. 

If you can't tell my the name of my shop, I obviously I have a thing for the color green.  I had green hydrangea, ivory roses and bells of Ireland for my most of the my flowers.  For the centerpieces on the tables, I had white and mint green carnations in metal tins.  When carnations are bunched up together, they actually look really nice and not so....well... carnation-y.  I had carnation wreaths hang from the chairs my husband and I sat in.  We had a very small wedding of only about 50 guests.  So no head table and the wreaths were a perfect touch to show where the NEW Mr. and Mrs. would be sitting.

My husband deployed to Afghanistan two weeks after we were married.  We wanted to get married before he left so the wedding was planned in record time (6 weeks!).  Thankfully, it being winter, finding vendors and a venue wasn't too difficult.  But with not much time to get things done, I wasn't allowed the luxury of researching and taking my time to think out each detail.  But I knew I wanted LOTS of fresh flowers and I was not going to go cheap on them.  I found an awesome florist and I think she leaped into my head because when all the arrangements arrived, it was exactly how I envisioned everything. 

When it came to my dress, I wanted to look very simple.  I wanted to look back at photos and think "I could wear that again."  So, after trying on several wedding gowns, I thought, maybe a gown wasn't what I needed...maybe I needed a dress.  So I tried on bridesmaid dresses!  I picked an ivory bridesmaid dress and a very long veil.  Perfect! 

Here's a look at us on that very day.  Happy Anniversary, Danny!  Five years of complete joy!

Valentine's Day Recipe - Sweetie Pie

Need a quick and easy sweet treat to make for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day?  I baked up these little pies with cherry filling for my Vintage Valentine Collection.  As I was baking them, I thought they would make for a great sweet treat for my husband this February 14th.  Pie is really the way to his heart.  But I don't really enjoy making pies.  Especially since we enjoy a slice each and then they seem to sit in the fridge for the rest of the week.  I like small goodies and these mini pies are perfect for someone who doesn't want to make a whole pie...like me! 

You'll need:

pre-made pie crust

heart shaped cookie cutter

parchment paper

pie filling (I used cherry for these)

Directions:

Roll out pie crust and cut out an even amount of heart shapes (1 for top layer, 1 for bottom layer).  Lay out a single layer of the heart shapes on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Place a small spoonful of pie filling onto the center of the heart dough.  Place a layer of the heart shaped dough on top and use a fork to close up the sides.  Pierce the top of the pie with a few little holes for venting.  Spread some egg whites on top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 325 for about 8-10 minutes.  

I made a little valentine to go with them!  Cute for kids and sure to please your main squeeze as well. 

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL? Superbowl printables

Football season hits it peak this Sunday with the Superbowl and it reminded me of the sports party I threw for my son this past September.  I knew a sports theme was in order when he would work all day on his dribbling skills.  I went with colors that weren't team specific since neither my husband and I are avid sports fans.  Here a few photos from his party to give you some inspiration if you are hosting a Superbowl Party this Sunday or thinking about throwing a sports for your little all-star!  Oh...and I have some FREE Superbowl Printables at the bottom of the post. 

The full table with cookies, cake pops, popcorn and candy!

rice krispie treats with mini pennant flags

LOVED these cake pops.  They are a party must!

FREE Superbowl Printables available!

Click on the title to download your file!

Water Bottle Labels

Tented Food Cards

Enjoy!

Kid Room Inspiration - The Great Outdoors

I am not one for winter, snow and the bitter cold.  I dream all winter long about sandy beaches and sipping on fruit smoothies on my back porch.  But, winter is here and I'm learning not to wish it away as much anymore.  One thing I'm liking about winter, is that it gives me time to start some projects that I might overlook when the warm weather beckons me outside.  One project I am really looking forward to this winter/early spring is turning my son's room from a nursery into a big boy room.  Oh...wait....time for a real bed.  That will be interesting! 

I have two goals for it.  One, is to keep it a theme that he can grow into for a few years.  The second goal being, to keep the decorating budget under $200.  With those goals in mind, I have decided to go with a camping/lodge theme! 

My son comes from a long line of campers and my dad is a huge fan of Buffalo Plaid (red and black check).  Every year, he looks for Buffalo Plaid shirts that all of his grandsons can wear.  

The idea is to express the theme with simply stated items.  Purchasing some items that can covert into other themes if let's say in a couple years he prefers robots to camping. 

Like a red side table I already purchased from IKEA.....for $4!  How can you pass that up?!  That's cheaper than coffee at Starbucks.  Which leaves some room in the budget to splurge! 

Below is an inspiration board I created with some great finds that would make for a very woodsy little room.  Most of them are from Etsy to boot!  I'll be documenting my way through the decorating process...oh, and the crib to bed transition....fun!

teddy bear - sleepyking

camping sign - jandersonart

woodgrain pillow - maverickjune

log pillows - polkadotmoonbeams

burlap tent - Ruby Ju Blog

woodland chair - IKEA

hedgehog bookend - graphicspaceswood

fox storage bin - land of nod

Valentine's Day GIVEAWAY

I knew I wanted to do a Valentine's Day dessert table centered around something sweet.  The timeless conversation hearts came to mind and being able to use all the pastel colors would be a great depature from the typical red and pink.   Kids and adults adore them just the same and this theme would even be great for a wedding shower.  The lovely Courtney Dial of Pizzazzerie featured my table last week on her site and I'm here to do another giveaway of the printables you can use to host your own conversation heart Valentine's Day party!

One lucky winner will receive over 10 PDF's that you can use to recreate this party yourself!

A cute covered Hershey bar and little card make a sweet little something your kids can exchange with their friends

Circle tags, cupcake wrappers, straw flags and mini Hershey wrappers are some of the other super sweet printables you could win!

I LOVE the conversation heart sugar cookies that Karen from Sugar and Flour makes! I designed three different paper patterns that you can print out and use to make limitless crafts.  Use them to cover paper mache mailboxes! 

Rules to Enter:

1. leave a comment below telling me you would like to win

2. leave a comment below telling me you became a fan on facebook

3. leave a comment below letting me know you signed up to follow my blog. 

Don't forget, to leave a comment!!

Deadline to enter is 8pm EST - Sunday, January 23rd

Winners will be announced on Monday, January 24th

WINNER is #16 - amydianet
-according to Random.org-
Please contact me at katie@greenapplepaperie.com so I can email you the files.
Thanks for all who participated!

Valentine's Day FREEBIE!

We still have a lot of time to get our sweeties something...well, sweet..for Valentine's Day but there's nothing wrong with getting a little jump on things, right?  I posted some Valentine's Day cards the other day and what better to send along with them, than some chocolate?  Though chocolate speaks for itself in its goodness and deliciousness, a little fun packaging will surely make your sweetie melt...not the chocolate. 

Sized to fit a standard size Hershey Bar (1.55oz), I have few in my shop now but here is a FREE one just for you!

Click HERE to download

Valentine's Day Cards

I wasn't always into Valentine's Day, but as the years go on, one has to think...what's so bad about a celebrating a day to spread the love and of course, consume chocolate.  We may roll our eyes at the fluffy teddy bears and the heart shaped box of chocolates and I'm right there with you.  But we can look past some of the 'Hallmark' part of it all and use it as a way to let others know we appreciate them.  A little note, a little piece of candy, a little paper, glitter and glue can make a big impact to the one who receives it.

To start off the year, I will be posting lots of ideas (oh and some freebies!) on how to spread the love to the young and young at heart.

First up!  Mini cards that work great for kids exchanging at school or playdates. For $4 a PDF, you can snag up a few and use them year after year!  Personlized with the givers name to boot! Here are some of my favorites!

Available now at my Etsy Shop!