It’s a brand new year, still all sparkly and squeaky clean, waiting to be filled up with dreaming, messes and handmade goodness! Last night I threw my mama a glitterific 50th birthday party and brought 2012 in with a roar. Nothing would have made me happier then to have the amazing friends I have made online join us to celebrate and toast to the birth of a new year. But wait, you can!
Join my party right here and now- I want to celebrate you in all your brilliance and fabulousity! I want 2012 to shine for all of us and to spend another year together building our community. Reading through the entries and watching the way people have come together to support each other for our ultimate entrepreneur giveaway has made my heart feel 10 sizes too big and I have never felt more positive about the days ahead for us! So come on in, glitter and glamour await you…
Alegrías (Spanish for joy/happiness) are one of my favourite party treats because they are easy to make, super healthy and incredibly delicious. They are made by popping amaranth seeds (available at most health foods stores) in a hot heavy bottomed skillet with a tight fitting lid. Get the pan good and hot and add a few seeds to it, if they shiver and pop immediately the pan is the right temperature. If they scorch without popping lower the heat. Pop the amaranth 1/4 cup at a time by pouring it into the skillet and covering tightly, shake the pan just above the heat until the popping stops and pour into a mixing bowl. This part is SO fun!
Combine 6 cups of popped amaranth seeds, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup nut butter (optional but almond is divine), 1/2 cup melted chocolate, cool slightly and roll into balls. Keep your hands damp or the mix will stick! I added some ganache and gold lustre powder for extra glitter power. If making with kidlets you can pat the mixture into a pan and make squares. Omit the chocolate completely and up the nut butter to 1/2 a cup for a sugar free treat for lunches. Because one can never have enough happiness, right?
Back to the party…
I have learned that gold + tigers is the best thing ever! This was the most fun I have ever had planning a party and that is saying something. My mama was born in the year of the tiger and I wanted the cake to be the real show stopper. The bottom cake layer is chocolate bourbon, the middle brown butter caramel and the top is vanilla bean I filled the layers with ganache and the outside with caramel buttercream. Yum! I have tons left so if you are in town consider yourself invited for tea and cake.
I am thankful for parties, for my gorgeous inspiring mama (50 is going to be awesome!), for reasons to celebrate life. Tomorrow I announce the winner of our giveaway and help give someone else cause to party like its their birthday. I hope all of us raise a glass to toast the coming year and fill the next 365 days with laughter, adventures and the life of our dreams. A round of toasts to the talented and generous Oh My! Handmade contributors who made 2011 an incredible year and another round to your own accomplishments. I cheers to you!
Now I am going to sleep for a week (if only).
Sources:
Banner for the cake made with washi tape and gold/silver origami paper from Omiyage & gold/silver twine from Knot and Bow
Party favors made with crepe paper from Castle In the Air and gold/silver heart stickers from Knot and Bow
Cheers and Hugs all around! This community is amazing!
Happy New Year! That looks like an amazing party – I bet your mum had a great time! I am SO glad to have discovered Oh My Handmade just a couple of months ago, and I am so looking forward to 2012, and learning from you all.
Let’s see – it would take 9 hrs. + 46 min. to drive to Halifax from Maine. Which is pretty tempting b/c that cake looks amazing!! Ching, Ching to the New Year + all YOUR hard work. You’ve opened the doors for so many people – we’ll be here to toast the winners + celebrate this wonderful community!
great post! nice nice party time…..Cheers!
Looks like an amazing party! Will definitely need to try the alegrias treats. Yummo! Happy 50th to your Mum.
so fun! by the way, last night i had a dream that i won the contest – so that means i did, right 😉
http://www.etsystalkers.com/
Best New Year’s and Birthday ever! Jess is so amazing and made magic with gold, glitter and tigers. A truly beautiful way to for beginnings. Can’t wait to see what she does when I turn 60.
Whoohoo! Happy birthday to your mama!
The tiger + gold glitterific party looked amazing and I will be right over for some of that delicious looking left over cake.
Happy new year to everyone in this amazing community. I am looking forward to the BIG contest winner announcement tomorrow and hopefully screaming, jumping up and down, and partying like it’s my birthday. 🙂
Wow I love your concept bella. Sooo much fun. My New Years with my lil baby girl Malia’s 1st birthday (yesterday as well) and alas all the bedazzling of sequins, masks and feathers for the 50’s lounge lizard party we had at the amazing Waldorf for NYE was Sensational as well.
Why settle when there’s sequins, jewels and glitter to rock around. Thats the way i roll.
Much love and fabulous in 2012!
Mary.
http://www.FashionistaSista.ca
http://www.ClutchJewels.com
Your mama must have loved that party! When do we get to celebrate you for all you do for the handmade community? Raise a glass and toast yourself – or go treat yourself to a nap (sounds like sleeping would be a fab gift for you).
Thank you for your insights and for bringing this community together!
Karen, Moment of Focus
Love the Tiger Cake!!
Incredible! You’ve done it again Jess, it all looks so dazzling. What a special night for your mum.
Happy wishes for 2012 friend!
xoxo
Wow, Jess! Great job!!
Happy new year and happy birthday to your mom!
Have a wonderful 2012!!!
Can’t wait to read who are the winners of the giveaway……
Happy New Year!
It has been so much fun reading all the entries, realising that there are so many women out there who are following their dreams and that anything is possible (as 3 very lucky people will learn tomorrow). Everyone has really made an effort to come up with wonderful entries and lots of people will probably barely sleep tonight from excitement.
I could not enter this year but there was a sentence in a previous post that stuck with me: “even if you are not entering this year”…which makes me hope and think that there is a possibility for another contest at the end of this year. I’ve only just planted the seed for my own dream and decided not to wait for 2012 to start. For 2012 I hope to nourish and grow the little company I just started in the hope of becoming a WAHM and I also hope to become a part of this wonderful community in 2012.
Looking forward to congratulating the lucky winners tomorrow!
And of course, a very glittery happy birthday to your mom.
Tania
Happy birthday to your mom!….And……Happy New Year to everyone 🙂
the delicias seem to be delightful! I must try 🙂
That is awesome. And that Tiger cake is brilliant!!
Happy New Year! I just love the colors, shimmer and lovely textures of your party. Your cake looks amazing. I have been waiting to do a colorful layered cake for awhile but hadn’t seen such a pretty grow up version! Congrats on a successful party!
Happy New Year’s to you too! And Happy Birthday to your mom! Hoping to make 2012 a rockin year for my business 🙂
(And Alegrias look delicious! Going to have to try them!)
Happy 2012 Jessika and best wishes to your lucky Mom! My 2012 mantra is focus and refine. I look forward to all the shared growth at OMHG and wish those soon to be winners a fabulous year of change!