Glam Candies

WE'VE MOVED!

2011-12-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

New MCE Logo Revealed!

2011-12-05T11:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday! We’re kicking off the week with some fabulous news!

As you know Jessica Cardelucci and I have been working on the new home for Glam Candies.

I’m excited to announce that we’ll be moving over to Miriam Corona Events!

I am also really excited to reveal our new logo designed by Cardelucci!

For the new logo we chose a gold and silver color palette.

The new logo represents my new married last name, Corona, which is the Spanish term for Crown.

It also represents a bee’s flight path.

If I could describe myself in just a few words, ‘busy bee’ would be it.

I love my job and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Stay tuned for our official launch later this month filled with brand new content!

{well, hello there!}

2011-10-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

How is everyone?! It's been incredibly busy here as I have been winding down on some recent events and working away on the new site amongst other things. I've been away from the blog for a few weeks so I thought I'd share a little update on the progress of the new site, Miriam Corona Events {MCE}!

I have picked a new logo! Hooray!! It's really pretty, creative, fun and a little more grown up. Yes, my friends, I'm growing up. Here's the inspiration behind it…and can you believe it came from a blouse I spotted on Pinterest?!

But that's just a little teaser to hold you over until the big reveal! I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the new look and I'm pretty eager to get it all done.

Up next is a fun photo shoot with Jessica Cardelucci who is also my super talented web designer. She has lots of experience in branding (from start to finish) so I'm very excited to be working with her on this project. Check out her fabulous work!

My new email address is all set up in case you want to say hello, email me at hello@miriamcoronaevents.com.

Btw, are you on Pinterest? It's this really addicting site that let's you "pin" inspiration photos onto online portfolios. Connect with me there to see some of the other projects that I have up my sleeve. I'd love to see what you are pinning too!

Have a great week!

Miriam

{Announcement...}

2011-09-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

{Inspiration Quote}

Thank you all for your support! It means the world to me! The abridged version of yesterday's post. Glam Candies will become a part of Miriam Corona Events, which will be a full service design and event planning studio. The new site will be launched in early January. Updates on the progress will be posted here until I transition onto the new site!

So what can you expect to see here in the meantime? Things that worked well like our Raising the Bar series and anything else that I feel inspired to write about. You know what is most exciting? That you all didn't jump off my Facebook and Twitter pages with this announcement. I am excited to share all of my new projects and events with you, which motivates me even more!

Happy weekend!

{This will be my last post...}

2011-09-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post for a while. I took a little break away from the blog this week to focus on some new and exciting projects, my clients upcoming weddings and events and my family. I'm guilty of neglecting my poor husband to keep up with everything that I have going on right now with what seems like an ever growing side business (and a full-time occupation to support these big dreams of mine).

A few weeks ago, while I was checking my Facebook page, I came across a little "journal entry" that I had written on that day, a year ago that read, "I feel inspired…"

I have really embraced blogging and social media. It feels like my own little piece of internet real estate and a place where I can journal my thoughts and reflect. I had never followed blogs until I started blogging. I was introduced to fellow bloggers all over the world with common interests and real people behind them that I have now met and have become my friends. Surprisingly, a lot of my customers also come from Facebook and Twitter connections. However, while I was on this little blogging break, I had some time to think about all of the things that I still want to do and how I'm just bursting to do it all.

For those of you that know me or read my blog, you know that I started this little side venture over two years ago. You all know that my education is in the arts and my true expertise and working background is in the fashion industry. My favorite class while I was in fashion school was visual merchandising. I really loved designing window displays. I never imagined that I would be working in the wedding and event industry.

I'm not a wedding expert (perhaps more of a candy and dessert connoisseur). I have quickly learned a lot about weddings, events and children's parties over the past two years from my own experiences and by reading about weddings as much as I can. I started out by designing a candy bar for my own wedding. Shortly after my wedding, I started shadowing my wedding planner at her weddings until I felt I was ready to coordinate weddings on my own. There I was thinking I was so unique and I remember how shocked I was when I discovered via the blogging world how saturated the wedding industry is.

My intentions are not to take away work from the wedding pros that have been doing this for many years long before me or from my competitors. I truly believe that there is enough business to go around for everyone. In many cases I have had the opportunity to partner with some pretty fabulous event planners and wedding pros. I didn't even intend for my blog to be a daily read. I felt that blogging was something that I needed to do so that I could share my work with you and tell you about it. It's definitely not an easy thing to do! There are a million thoughts that go through my mind before I hit the "publish" button like will anyone read this???

My last few blog posts have been geared towards my events, my clients and my weddings. Lately, you may have noticed that I have been signing my blog posts on the Glam Candies blog with Miriam Corona Events, but it hasn't felt quite right to me. To be honest, it has even become a little confusing to showcase weddings when you are expecting a candy bar. So I will be focusing more of my efforts on my new site, Miriam Corona Events that is currently underway and we are targeting to launch in early January.

With that said, Glam Candies is very special to me and will not go away, but will only be a part of something bigger. I have dreams of launching a sweet shoppe so that I can offer the products and goodies that I love the most and often use so that you can incorporate these items into your events.

You can still chat with me on Twitter and Facebook until I transition onto the new site, which I will then create new pages for and I would love to have you there as well. I will post intermediately to this blog to keep you updated on the progress. I hope this doesn't disappoint some of you, especially some of my recent couples that I have not blogged about yet. Thank you for being so patient with me during this transition and I cannot wait to feature your weddings in my new portfolio.

Thank you all for being so incredibly supportive of what I do! I'm really looking forward to swimming in a bigger pond and I'm so excited for all of what is to come.

{Press: The BWS Magazine}

2011-09-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

We're excited to share that we have been featured on the cover of the September issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine! In this issue, we share eight different design elements that inspired our Nautical photo shoot at the AVIA. Check out the feature on BWS. Also, check out our "Sail Away With Me" dessert bar styled for this photo shoot! What a great way to end the summer!

Jessica Elizabeth Photography

Thank you to the team and to BWS for this opportunity! We are thrilled to be a part of this experience!

{Glam Wedding & Sweetheart Candy Bar / Boda Glamorosa y Barra de Dulces de Amor}

2011-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we shared a glimpse of Leslie & Joseph's wedding ceremony. Today we share their modern glam reception and reveal their candy bar!

Leslie and Joseph enjoyed cocktails and appetizers with their guests on the terrace and enjoyed the gorgeous views.

We designed a sweetheart themed candy bar for the couple with all heart-shaped candies. The red velvet cupcakes were a gift to the bride and groom from their bridesmaid, Nicole, who is also a pastry chef. They were topped with Bride and Groom heart-shaped toppers designed by Papermints, as well as the personalized wedding favors with a quote, "I will never stop loving you". We used our black chandelier cake stands to set them on and displayed black and white photos of the bride and groom around the candy table.

I asked Leslie and Joseph to share their best and most memorable moments from their wedding and here's what they said:

From Joseph: "Seeing Leslie come down that aisle made my heart beat faster. My mind was a blank. It was slow motion. I couldn't hear anything. It was like a dream. Then she took my hand and standing up there with her, holding her hand and realizing what was really going on. That in minutes from that moment, she would be my wife...my forever."

From Leslie: “The most memorable part for me was walking down the aisle with my husband after we just said I do. I was beaming with excitement I couldn't stop smiling. We were surrounded by everyone who supported us and loved us and not only was it a sigh of relief that all the realization of our hard work wedding planning was here, it was a realization that all we had been through the last six years was worth it because now we were mr. and mrs."

"Walking into out reception site was an amazing feeling. Seeing all of our ideas and work come together brought instant tears of happiness especially since we both worked so hard together making sure we were both included in the planning process."

"And the best moment was as we were dancing our first dance as husband and wife our two sons decided to join in the party and dance with us."

{Spanish / Español}

Ayer compartimos la cermonia de Leslie y Joseph. Hoy, compartimos el glamur de la recepcion moderna de damasco negro con blanco y fucsia y su barra de dulces.

Leslie y Joseph disfrutaron la hora de coctel y aperitivos con sus invitados en la terraza y disfrutaron de una maravillosa vista.

Nosotros disenamos un tema de una barra de dulces en forma de corazones para la pareja. Los pastelitos de aterciopelado rojo fueron un regalo para los novios de su dama, Nicole que es tambien una experta en pastels, ellos fueron decorados en forma de corazones disenados por Papermints y los favores de la boda estaban personalizados con una frase "nunca dejare de amarte". Nosotros usamos candeleros negros para los pastelitos y exibimos las fotos en blanco y negro alrededor de la mesa.

Yo les pedi a Leslie y Joseph que compartieran sus mejores y mas memorables momentos de su boda, y esto fue lo que ellos dijeron:

De Joseph: "Viendo a Leslie caminar por el pasio hizo que mi corazon latiera rapidamente, mi mente estaba en blanco, no podia oir nada, era como un sueno, luego ella me tomo mi mano y al estar alli con ella tomandole la mano me di cuenta lo que estaba pasando que en unos minutos a partir de ese momento ella seria mi esposa......mia para siempre."

De Leslie: "La parte mas memorable para mi fue caminar sobre el pasio con mi esposo despues que nosotros dijimos "si acepto" yo estaba radiando de alegria que no podia parar de sonreir, nosotros estabamos acompanados de todos quienes nos apoyaron y no solamente fue una muestra de alivio de darnos cuenta que todo nuestro trabajo de planear la ceremonia llego, esto fue una realizacion que todo lo que hemos pasado durante los ultimos seis anos valio la pena, porque ahora somos Sr y Sra, como sea, caminando a nuestra recepcion fue un sentimiento maravilloso, viendo todas nuestras ideas y trabajo juntarse, trajo lagrimas de felicidad especialmente ya que nosotros trabajamos juntos duramente, asegurandonos que los dos estubieramos incluidos en el proseso de planeamiento."

"Y el mejor momento fue cuando estabamos bailando nuestro primer baile como esposos y nuestros dos hijos decidieron participar en la fiesta y bailaron con nosotros."

Leslie y Joseph tienen unas pocas palabras dulces para nosotros. Lea aqui lo que ellos dicen sobre nuestros servicios de su boda. Para ver mas de su boda, haga clic aqui.

Leslie and Joseph have a few sweet words for us. Read what they have to say about our wedding services here. To see more of their wedding click here.

{The Wedding Ceremony of Leslie & Joseph/ La Ceremonia de Boda de Leslie y Joseph}

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are sharing Leslie and Joseph's wedding ceremony, which was held in March of 2011 at Coco Palm located in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where they fell in love with the gorgeous views overlooking the city. All Leslie and Joseph ever wished for was an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour with an indoor reception. Thank goodness the rains stayed away just long enough for them to say their I-Do's!

The inspiration behind their wedding came from black and white damask prints, which were accented with the color fuchsia. Leslie loves hearts so we included subtle hearts throughout the design. We designed a themed candy bar to match, which we will share tomorrow along with the rest of their reception details. We will publish their wedding in two posts because there are too many gorgeous photographs from Jenny Stein Photography.

Congratulations, Leslie and Joseph! We are so grateful to you for allowing us to coordinate your wedding and partake in your special day!

I especially love this photograph. She looks a princess in a faraway castle. Wouldn’t you agree?

"The number one thing we love to do together is laugh all day long. Family comes first as in our situation babies came before marriage so we love amusement parks and movies with the kids, and we also love time well spent together over dinner and a movie, or having some cocktails." - Leslie

During the Bride's Processional, Joseph held their youngest son, Dylan, while awaiting his lovely bride.

To see the newlyweds before thier big day click here. Come back tomorrow to see Leslie and Joseph's glam reception and candy bar!

{Spanish / Español}

Hoy nosotros estamos compartiendo la ceremonia del matrimonio de Leslie y Joseph que se celebro en Marzo del 2011 en Coco Palm localizado en las afueras de Los Angeles, donde ellos se enamoraron con las hermosas vistas mirando sobre la ciudad. Todo lo que Leslie y Joseph han deseado ha sido tener una ceremonia y una hora de cóctel afuera con una recepción adentro. Gracias a Dios que no hubo lluvia y ellos tuvieron el tiempo para decir "si acepto".

La inspiración de la boda vino de impresiones de damasco en negro y blanco acentuado con el color fucsia. A Leslie le encantan los corazones asi que nosotros incluimos pequenos y sutiles corazones a traves del diseño. Nosotros diseñamos un tema de barra de dulces para complementar, el cual vamos a compartirlo mañana con el resto de los detalles de la recepción. Tenemos que publicar su matrimonio en dos partes porque hay muchas fotos de Jenny Stein.

Felicidades Leslie y Joseph! Nosotros estamos muy agradecidos con ustedes por permitirnos coordinar su matrimonio y ser parte de ese día tan especial.

{Roll the Credits / Rollo de los Créditos}

And just as Joseph proposed to Leslie during the ending credits of a movie in a movie theater, it is only appropriate for us to Roll the Credits from their wedding day:

Photographer / Photografía: Jenny Stein Photography

Venue / Lugar de Boda: Coco Palm

Cake / Pastel: Some Crust Bakery

Floral Design / Diseño Floral: Flower Fairy Wings

Specialty Linens / Especialidad de Manteles: Raquel's Specialty Linens

Officiant / Oficiante: Clergy Referral Services

DJ: Progressive Sound Productions

Paper Design for Candy Bar/Diseño de Papel: Papermints

Coordination and Candy Bar/ Coordinación de Boda y Barra de Dulces: Miriam Corona Events / Glam Candies

A sweet Thanks to these vendors for making my dream job a little bit easier.

Sweet Treats Recipe {Mini Blueberry Parfaits}

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! We're wrapping up our nautical inspired series with our homemade mini blueberry parfaits. They are super easy to make and are just the perfect treat for your guests to grab-and-go mingle!

Here's what you'll need:

I scored this 16-piece mini parfait glasses with spoons set from Target and while your there, you might as well pick up the rest of these items:

blueberries

yogurt

graham crackers

Here's what I did:

Spoon the yogurt into a sandwich bag and cut the bottom tip of the bag. Layer the yogurt into the glass first, followed by a crushed graham cracker and top with 3 blueberries. Garnish with fresh mint or lemon zest.

Styling Tip:

I used sisal rope twine to tie the mini spoons onto the parfait glasses, but baker's twine and raffia would make a great choice for other party themes too!

It's been fun! Thanks for following along and look for us in the September issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine. Thanks a million to the team, the AVIA hotel and to Best Wedding Sites for this incredible opportunity. Enjoy the long weekend and we will see you back here next week with some of our gorgeous damask inspired weddings.

{Thirsty Thursday} "Blue Berry Mojitos"

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's thirsty Thursday and we'd like to leave with you a "Berry" delicious new cocktail recipe to try over Labor Day weekend!

Try our signature, "Blue Berry Mojitos", which you have been seeing here all week long!

What you'll need (per serving):

8 blueberries

6 mint leaves

1 1/2 ounces of blue rock candy

2 ounces of Bacardi Superior White

club soda

ice

Step 1:

Fill glass with 8 blueberries, 6 good size mint leaves and 1 1/2 ounces of blue rock candy. Muddle everything together.

Step 2:

Fill glass with ice and then pour 2 ounces of Bacardi Superior White. Top off with club soda. Garnish with a mint top and a few blueberries.

Styling Tip:

To change the color of your drink, substitute the colored rock candy with food coloring. Add food coloring a little at a time after you top your drink off with club soda until your ideal color is achieved. Add sugar or sweetener.

Please enjoy & drink responsibly!

{Behind-the-Scenes} Nautical Inspiration Photo Shoot at AVIA Hotel, Long Beach

2011-08-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

I often ask my brides and couples to bring inspiration photos, colors, fabric, paper swatches and any other inspirational items with them to our initial design meetings to come up with design elements that will reflect them as a couple.

We sit over a cup of coffee or glass of champagne and yummy desserts and look over all of these pretty pictures to come up with ideas that they may want to recreate or incorporate into their wedding day in their own unique way.

And while this is everything that I strive for in real-life weddings and events, what my couples may not realize that there is an entire army of people working behind-the-scenes to make sure every single detail is perfectly executed.

I am a big believer in teamwork. Teams are everything. Today, I am formally introducing you to the amazing team that pulled an all-nighter to be on-site with me to style this Nautical Bridal Shower inspiration photo shoot featured on Best Wedding Sites.

We are taking you to the AVIA Hotel in Long Beach, California and giving you a peek of what really happened on the set.

That's Robert (we call him Rob). He's Jessica's husband. Husband and wife team at Jessica Elizabeth Photography. They are so unbelievably cute together. She dragged him out of bed at 4am to do this.

And this. See what I mean?

Here are the lovely ladies looking all pretty and sassy, not sleep deprived at all, right? You can't really tell because of the marine layer, but it was supposed to be a sunrise shoot. We were all on-site by 6am, but we didn't get any sunshine until about 11am. We had to be long gone by that time so that the guests of the hotel could use the pool. From Left to Right - Mandy of the AVIA, yours truly, Samantha of Papermints, Cristina of Unforgettable Events and Jessica of Jessica Elizabeth Photography.

That's Cristina putting the finishing touches on those lemony floral masterpieces.

Here I am, hard at work. And in case you are wondering, yes, I did purposely color coordinate my nautical wardrobe :)

Here are some fun group shots of us hanging out and having a celebratory toast at our nautical tablescape. It was just too pretty not to enjoy it and the desserts, so we did. And there you have it, teamwork.

{Sail Away With Me} Nautical Dessert Bar

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to create this nautical dessert bar for an inspiration bridal shower that I designed and styled for the Best Wedding Sites magazine at the AVIA Hotel in Long Beach, CA. This was the perfect venue for a nautical themed bridal shower with picturesque rooftop views overlooking the Queen Mary and Long Beach Harbor. The sweets bar was set up poolside. The color palette for the design challenge was navy and yellow so I used blueberries, lemons and subtle hints of peach throughout the dessert bar and tablescape.

Once again I had the opportunity to collaborate with Cucamonga Cakery on some really fun ideas for the nautical desserts like the sailboat and life preserver cookies and lemon flavored mini donuts, lemon fruit tarts topped with blueberries and garnished with a sprig of mint, white chocolate covered seashell cupcakes and a navy cake with white chocolate coral and starfish. I also added white chocolate covered pretzels, "ships ahoy" chocolate chip cookies and ready-to-go homemade blueberry parfaits with mini spoons tied with twine. The paper details including the candy bar invitation and "sweets" banner were designed by Papermints in block striped and lattice prints that coordinated with our tablescape. The vintage map pinwheels were handmade and tied to burlap to create a second banner across the table. Unforgettable Events provided the simple cafe o le hybrid dahlias, yellow billy balls and tulips floral arrangements in addition to the Italian charmeuse satin linens.

Our signature drink, "Blue Berry Mojitos", were made with blue rock candy, mint leaves and blueberries, which I will share a recipe for later on!

A special thanks to Jessica Elizabeth Photography for these awesome photographs you are seeing here and here.

{Nautical Inspiration Photo Shoot}

2011-08-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday sweet people! This week is going to be a great week because most of us are looking forward to a 3-day, end of summer, holiday weekend! But did you really think I was going to let the summer getaway without some pretty nautical inspiration on my blog? Absolutely not! I love the beach, love! And today I have something very special to share with you!

For the past several weeks, maybe months and what feels like countless hours, I have been planning this pretty, chic nautical inspiration photo shoot for a faux bridal shower that was held at the AVIA hotel for the Best Wedding Sites magazine with a really fun and amazing team that helped me style the shoot!

I have posted a few photos from Jessica Elizabeth Photography here. The rest of our photos and lots of inspiration details are featured on Best Wedding Sites today! So go take a look and be sure to leave us some love as we are in for some friendly competition over there!

I will be posting more details and photos from our nautical inspiration photo shoot throughout the week, including a full feature on the dessert bar. As a common courtesy, we ask that you please credit our work if you choose to use our pictures for personal use. Sweetly, Miriam

{Credits}

Miriam Corona of Glam Candies / Miriam Corona Events: Event Planning + Design, Rentals, Dessert Bar

Cristina Barragan of Unforgettable Events: Specialty Linens & Floral Design, Rentals

Samantha H. Chu of Papermints: Paper Design

Cucamonga Cakery: Desserts

Jessica Elizabeth Photography

AVIA Hotels Long Beach, CA

{a sweet giveaway: WINNER!}

2011-08-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Soledad for winning the 'Fry Girl Donuts At Home Kit!' You have answered The Fry Girl’s question, "What is the secret ingredient in The Fry Girl Inc.’s mini donuts?" with the correct answer, LOVE!

We will be in touch with you Soledad! Thanks for supporting The Fry Girl Inc. and Glam Candies by 'Liking' us on Facebook.

A big thanks to The Fry Girl Inc. for sponsoring our sweet giveaway. If you wish to purchase a 'Fry Girl Donut Kit' you can do so here.

A sweet thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway!

{Raising the Bar: The Fry Girl Inc + a sweet GIVEAWAY!}

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our Raising the Bar series continues with a very sweet guest and entrepreneur, Shelley Beals, founder of The Fry Girl Inc.! The Fry Girl Inc. is an LA based catering company that specializes in fun, mini fried foods for parties and special events!

In this series, I really enjoy writing about unique food, entertaining ideas and people who inspire me and Shelley does just that! Today we are sharing a little more about Shelley and her fried food catering business!

Shelley is a very caring person that is passionate about rescuing dogs. Aside from work, she dedicates a lot of her spare time to fostering and finding dogs homes that she continuously pulls from shelters. Currently, Shelley has 5 dogs, 4 of them are rescues!

Shelley, Me and Nina at the DWP Premiere Party

With so many mini fried food options we couldn't narrow it down to a particular dessert bar and lucky for us The Fry Girl Inc. caters a wide variety of treats. There is something to please everyone! From gourmet french fries and sweet potato fries topped with your choice of flavored ketchups to the newly added caramel drizzled apple fries and ever so popular mini churros, mini corn dogs, mini funnel cakes and fried Oreos (that taste like warm chocolate cake), The Fry Girl Inc. has everything you need to entertain and impress your guests! Everything is fried in 'cholesterol free' canola oil that contains no 'trans fats'. A mini donut contains only 1 gram of fat, 26 calories and 3.5 grams of carbs. It's all heavenly fried goodness!

Mini Funnel Cake Station

Funnel Cake & Mini Donut Station

French Fry Bar

Fried Oreos & Mini Donuts

I love the idea of pairing a few of these scrumptious treats to create an entire snack bar or even a few food stations! Pass the treats in paper cones that are personalized with custom stickers for your event or send your guests home with yummy favors. We personally get tons of requests for foodie party and wedding favors like the mini churros!

What can be better than daytime or late night catering on wheels? The Fry Girl Inc.'s pink mobile has been spotted catering to celebrity and private events all over Hollywood!

For more information on catering, foodie favors or to book The Fry Girl Inc.'s catering services for an event contact The Fry Girl Inc. or Glam Candies / Miriam Corona Events! We would love to help you design a custom tailored menu for your event!

And now for our sweet giveaway sponsored by The Fry Girl Inc.! Make your very own delicious donuts at home with a 'Fry Girl Donuts At Home Kit!' Perfect as a hostess gift, housewarming gift or as a fun family project!

To enter the giveaway, tell us:

What is the secret ingredient in the Fry Girl Inc.'s mini donuts?

· "Like" The Fry Girl Inc. Facebook page and leave a comment telling her what you think the secret ingredient is

· "Like" the Glam Candies Facebook page and leave a comment telling us that you entered the giveaway

Anyone in the US can enter the giveaway. A winner will be announced on Monday. Good luck!

{1st Wedding Anniversary: Gina & JR / Primer Aniversario de Boda: Gina y JR}

2011-08-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe a year has passed since Gina and JR's wedding day! Although I was not blogging last year when they were married, I am so thrilled to finally share their amazing photos from Aaron Willcox Photography on our blog! And, yes, it has only taken me a year and it has certainly gone by in a flash! Their classic black tie affair was so elegant and beautiful that I simply couldn't resist sharing and reminiscing about their wedding day.

Nothing about Gina and JR's wedding was ordinary. It was a true reflection of their vibrant personalities and their passion for life, love and food! From the black and white only formal attire that their guests wore, to the bouquet auction not toss, and the Best Woman not Maid of Honor title ("because there are no maids at this wedding" - Gina) and their selection of music, not the typical 'Here Comes the Bride', but 'At Last' for the bride's processional, their wedding was full of memorable and unexpected surprises that had everyone anticipating what would happen next!

The bride and groom not only infused their diverse cultures into their wedding day, but also into the "Amore E Dolce" cookie bar that we had the pleasure of creating for them, which included Japanese Mochi (on behalf of the groom) surrounded by all different varieties of Italian cookies (on behalf of the bride)! Molto delicioso!

Gina and JR are a very fun and inspirational couple to us and many who know them. Everyone had a fabulous time at their wedding and on the dance floor. Happy Anniversary, Kekkonkinen bi omedeto, Buon Anniversario, Gina and JR! I hope you are having a wonderful time in wine country!

{Spanish / Español}

No puedo creer que haya pasado un año desde la boda de Gina y JR! Aunque yo no estaba en esta pagina el año pasado cuando ellos se casaron, estoy tan exitada de finalmente compartir sus bellisimas fotos de la fotografía de Aaron Willcox en mi pagina! Y si solo me ha tomado un año y ciertamente se ha ido muy rapido. Su clasica ceremonia de corbata negra fue tan elegante y bonita que no me pude resistir compartir y recordarme de su día.

Nada sobre la boda de Gina y JR fue ordinario fue un verdadero reflejo de sus vibrantes personalidades y su pasión por la vida, el amor y la comida. Desde la vestidura formal blanco y negro que usaron sus invitados a la subasta del ramo y el titulo de la mejor mujer (porque no hubieron damas en esta boda) y su seleccion de musica, su boda estuvo llena de memorables e inesperadas sorpresas, que mantubo a todos pensando que seria lo proximo que pasaria.

Los novios no solamente introdujeron sus culturas en el dia de su boda si no que tambien en la mesa de galletas llamadas "Amore E Dolce" que nosotros tuvimos el placer de crear para ellos, lo cual incluia Mochi Japones (de parte del novio) rodeado de diferentes variedades de galletas Italianas (de parte de la novia). Muy delicioso!!

Gina y JR son una pareja muy inspiradora y divertida para nosotros y para muchos que los conocen. Todos tuvieron un tiempo fabuloso en su boda y en su pista de baile. Feliz Aniversario!!!! Espero esten pasando un tiempo maravilloso en las vinerías!

Gina y JR tienen unas pocas dulces palabras para nosotros. Lea lo que ellos dijeron acerca de nuestros servicios. Aqui.

A nosotros nos encantaria ayudarlos a planear su día mas dulce. Contacteme para planear su evento o para mas informacion, en nuestros servicios de planificación de eventos o barras de dulces y postres.

Gina and JR had a few sweet words for us! Read what they had to say about our services here.

We would love to help plan your sweetest day! Contact me to book an event or for more information on our event planning services or candy and dessert bars!

Sweetly / Dulcemente,

Miriam

{Roll the Credits / Rollo de los Créditos}

Photography / Photografía: Aaron Willcox Photography

Venue / Lugar de Boda: Ayres Hotel, Manhattan Beach/Hawthorne, California

Hair & Make-up / Cabello y Maquillaje: Gilbert Gonzalez

DJ: Afterburn Productions

Cake / Pastel: Myer's Bakery

Floral Design / Diseño Floral: Tigerlily Floral Designs

Invitations & Paper / Invitación y Papel: Rynex Designs

Wedding Coordination and Dessert Bar / Coordinación de Boda y Barra de Postres: Miriam Corona Events / Glam Candies

{Hello, we're back! / Hola, ya estamos de regreso!}

2011-08-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I’m back from an amazing vacation! My husband and I had a fantastic time exploring Riviera Maya, Mexico. That’s me with my husband Eddie at the resort we stayed at. The thought of staying there to plan destination weddings crossed my mind a lot :)

So what did I miss? We’re getting back to business as usual, but first I want to share some exciting projects that happened last week while I was away. Thanks, Linda for helping me out!

Our Sweet Shoppe party was featured on Amy Atlas Events! Please stop by her blog to check it out if you have a moment! We are very excited to be featured on her inspirational blog.

I received these gorgeous images of two of our past weddings and I can't wait to blog about them both (and their candy bars too)!

From Jenny Stein Photography, Leslie & Joseph’s wedding:

From Jessica Elizabeth Photography, Rochelle & Jason’s wedding:

We are prepping for our inspiration photo shoot/vendor challenge for the August issue of the Best Wedding Sites magazine. I want to tell you so much more about the inspiration behind this photo shoot, but we are keeping all of those details under wraps until the issue is published. In the meantime, you can check us out in the February issue if you haven't done so already.

Lastly, Glam Candies celebrated two years in the biz! Stay tuned for a sweet giveaway from The Fry Girl Inc in honor of our anniversary!

We wish you a sweet week!

Miriam

{Spanish/Español}

Hola! Regresamos de nuestras vacaciones y queremos compartir nuestros proyectos nuevos.

Publicaron nuestra mesa de dulces en el blog de Amy Atlas.

Llegaron photografias de dos bodas! La boda de Leslie y Joseph y la boda de Rochelle y Jason.

Estamos preparandonos para una sesión fotográfica de inspiracion para la revista de bodas Best Wedding Sites para el mes de Agosto.

Nuestro pequeño negocio, Glam Candies cumplio dos años! Tenemos un regalo especial de parte de The Fry Girl Inc en honor de nuestro aniversario.

Les deseamos una semana dulce!

Miriam

{Love Is Sweet}

2011-07-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

{Images (c) David Torralva Photography & lizkphoto}

Two years ago today, I married the love of my life. It also marks the day that I designed my first "official" candy bar for our wedding and the "unofficial" sweet beginnings of Glam Candies. I thought that once I got through all of the wedding planning that I would have a lot of time to spare. Well, I was wrong. The planning never ended. In fact, the past two years have been even busier! Channeling Amy Atlas, I decided to establish a small business shortly after our wedding. Followed by building a website and blog, working on inspiration boards and photo shoots, meeting with clients, attending networking events, coordinating weddings, planning children's parties, training my GC crew, baking, crafting and styling dessert tables… It has grown into my full time passion...and I dedicate to it every second I can spare.

What most people don't know about me is that I also work full time as a business analyst (I come from a fashion background) and in addition to planning, blogging and tracking the weather forecast, I love being able to make a difference in people's lives. Calming down a bride just before she walks down the aisle and bustling her gown before she makes her grand entrance. Helping the groomsmen pin on their boutonnieres. Finding mom and dad for a dance or the best man and maid of honor for a speech, usually with a microphone in one hand and a glass of champagne and pack of tissues in the other. Showing the bride and groom how to cut their wedding cake and restocking the candy bar after guests stop by to satisfy their sweet tooth. These are a few details that aren't given a lot of thought in the grand scheme of things and may even go unnoticed, but it's what I'm good at and the truth is that I do this because I absolutely love it. And once the chandeliers have been taken down and the mason jars have been put away, I know that I have done my part in contributing to their sweetest day.

So, I have to admit that I'm pretty happy with this sweet little journey so far (still chipping away at it) and I'm even happier to be celebrating my 2^nd anniversary with my incredible and supportive husband in Mexico. Cheers!

P.S. In case you would like to see more of my wedding, you can view a full feature on Lovely Little Details.

{How to Create a Candy Bar}

2011-07-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

I came across this fun video tutorial on creating your own candy bar (sorry, but the word buffet makes me cringe)... I have to say that it will give you a little insight on some of the candy bar making basics. After all, how hard could it be?

My favorite part was the squeaky gummy... It's worth the click :)

{Cake Smashing}

2011-07-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

I’m super excited about this recent submission from my friend Liz of Liz K Photo (who also photographed my wedding). I just couldn’t resist sharing these adorable photos of Emery’s 1st cake smashing!

I love this new trend popping up in children’s birthday celebrations, especially when planning something very special for the first one. Why not make the first birthday cake memorable by letting your little one smash it?

Emery looks so sweet dressed up in her bright pink tutu and matching flower headband and I bet she had a blast smashing up that confetti birthday cake!

I hope you had a sweet One, Emery!

Photos © of Liz K Photo

{Patriotic Sweets}

2011-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Whether you are celebrating an Americana themed wedding or a simple backyard get together with family and friends, it's always fun to get into the spirit of 4th of July by creating red, white, and blue sweets for your party. These are some of my summer favorites below...I especially love how many of them incorporate berries into the recipe..so fresh and sweet..perfect for a warm summer evening. Just add a fruity and sweet blush wine and you are ready for some fireworks!

I absolutely love these Patriotic Parfaits made with red currant and panna cotta topped with currants and blueberries. They are fun way for your guests to cool off during the summer and make any dessert bar look amazing. Try this recipe from Martha Stewart...you'll be tempted to make them every day.

Nothing says summer has arrived more than big, sweet strawberries in your local markets...surprise your party guests with an amazing plate of chocolate dipped strawberries in colorful 4th of July designs by Jackie's Baskets. Best of all they can be delivered right to your front door.

Between planning a party and entertaining your guests, there isn't always lot of time to spend in the kitchen baking...here is a fun and easy way to create something fast and delicious that will please everyone...doesn't everyone love cupcakes...especially when they have cream cheese frosting and fruit toppings...all I have left to say is yum! Bake your own with this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.

Maybe you are having your wedding 4th of July weekend, but you are pretty sure you don't want your reception theme to be red, white, and blue stars and stripes. Here is a perfect way to incorporate your love for the holiday in a very classic and beautiful way...the wedding cake above is just the right amount of festive with cute red dots and flowers that are simple yet elegant. Picture courtesy of Jonathan Canlas Photography.

What's more All-American than pie? This Berry Truffle pie features a mixture of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries as well as creamy chocolate. What an explosion of flavor! Find the recipe at Better Homes and Gardens.

I love and support the idea behind these Cake Pops by Bakerella. They are dedicated to all the soldiers, marines, and troops out there who serve our country every day and don't always get to spend Independence Day with their loved ones. GC says thank you to you too.....happy 4th of July everyone :)

{Surprise Birthday Dessert Bar}

2011-06-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I just want to share a few of the projects that I have been working on. I had so much fun creating this surprise dessert bar for my mom's birthday party last weekend and she and the guests really enjoyed it too! I was inspired by the paper goodies I picked up from a local craft store and took it from there. I used navy, green and brown throughout the treats, ribbon and vessels. I set up the dessert bar outside to be photographed and then I moved it indoors. I actually moved it around quite a bit considering I had to transport everything to her house, but it was worth it! Here's a few pics of how it turned out...you can click on them to enlarge.

I baked the cake and cake pops and it was the perfect excuse to work with cakewalk desserts for the pie pops! They worked out great as party favors and our guests loved them!

I also created a mini s'mores bar with graham crackers, the new s'more marshmallows and mini hershey's bars. I threw a few gooey caramels in there as well.

Here are a few more of my favorite details.

Also, I recently switched over from a pc to a mac and have been experimenting with it... I was able to whip up this little video montage. I love the vintage effect!

Happy weekend everyone!

{Father's Day Gift Ideas}

2011-06-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

With Father’s Day around the corner, we thought you might enjoy a crafty little project.

How To: Make Dad feel extra special by decorating his favorite snacks with retro clip art labels.

1. Download this template and cut the labels down to size.

2. Using double-sided tape, affix the label to cellophane bags or jars filled with his favorite snacks.

source

Consider a few more treats to pair with your sweet gesture:

via Crate & Barrel

{S'mores Bar}

2011-06-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Today’s guest for our Raising the Bar series is the sweet Nicole Greene; Chef & Owner of Chicago based truffle truffle.

To create our s'mores bar, we are focusing in on their gourmet shortbread s’mores from the "sweet suite" signature collection (you may also want to pick up some truffles, caramels and pretzels from this collection to pair them with). These gooey little marshmallow treats have been with truffle truffle since their launch in the summer of 2009. And you don't even have to be near a campfire to enjoy them!

With 11 s'more flavors offered in their "sweet suite" signature collection, who could resist. There are also a couple of seasonal s'more flavors, like their gingerbread & pumpkin s'mores, which return during the winter holiday season and would make the perfect addition to a dessert bar or a sweet gift.

Sweet displays designed by the creative team at truffle truffle.

I asked Nicole to share a little bit more about these delicious little treats with us.

I love the s'mores because they offer a fun & modern twist on one of my favorite childhood treats (not that I don't still devour authentic campfire s'mores as an adult though!). I have always loved camping, and let's face it, the best part of the trip is the gooey, charred goodness of a melted marshmallow sandwiched between graham crackers and chocolate bar squares! Yum! As I got older and increasingly more obsessed with food and flavor combos, I started experimenting with flavor-infused chocolate bars to enhance my campfire s'more experience, pairing the standard marshmallow and graham cracker combo with chocolate mint or chocolate peanut butter bars. That's where the idea for our gourmet shortbread s'mores was born! One day, in the midst of a daydream, a vision of the inside of what became the truffle truffle s'more flashed before my eyes, and I couldn't wait to go home and start experimenting! First I played with infusing the marshmallows with a punch of flavor, either by steeping the water with fresh herbs, or adding oils & natural extracts to the recipe. Once the marshmallows were ready to go, I decided to enhance the flavor even further by pairing each marshmallow with the perfect shortbread cookie complement. For example, the shortbread cookies for the chipotle peanut butter marshmallows also have a dash of chipotle and peanut butter folded into the dough. This pairing helps the flavor stand up to all of that delicious chocolate! We even have a graham cracker-flavored shortbread cookie to pair with our coconut key lime and banana cream s'mores, replicating a graham cracker pie crust. I suppose we could have gone with a standard graham cracker, but the buttery, flakiness of the shortbread cookies was just too hard to resist! The final touch is the chocolate shell. We hand enrobe the s'mores, carefully dipping the marshmallows first so that the chocolate will act as a glue holding the delicious sandwich together, and then we enrobe the whole thing in either a milk chocolate or dark chocolate shell. Ooh la la! As a chef, it's hard to choose, but I think my personal favorite s'more flavors are the orange tarragon and coconut key lime. I will inevitably "sabotage" at least one of those while enrobing every batch to be sure I have an unsellable "ugly" for personal consumption! (shhh!)

One of the defining aspects of truffle truffle is that we pay as much attention to our packaging as we do to our treats so that they appeal as much to the eye as to the palate. Our s'mores are available individually wrapped, as well as in our reusable 4pc and 12 pc magnetic boxes, so they make a perfect personal indulgence, or gourmet gifts! Summer is here....it's the season for s'mores! And these s'mores, IMHO (in my humble opinion), can't be beat!

Thanks truffle truffle for stopping by today! We just love your tasty s'mores and treats and the beautiful packaging! Be sure to stop by their site to check out their I <3 Chicago collection, truffle cakes and all of their other dreamy desserts too!

{Storybook Baby Shower}

2011-06-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

This storybook-themed baby shower stole my heart. It was featured in the May 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. I wanted to share it in case you are in the process of planning a baby shower. I love that this story-book theme is gender neutral and works whether the parents-to-be are expecting sweet baby boy or girl.

A storybook garland, moon and star-shaped details are used to decorate the snack bar.

The menu is artistically labeled across the spines of the paper-covered books. Also consider stacking a few books together to create centerpieces.

Grab some cookie cutters and create various mini-shaped sandwiches! Each dish creatively ties-back to the storybook theme.

Bite-sized snacks are displayed over doilies folded in half.

Send your guests off with sweet favors that tie-back to the storybook theme like these little lamb cookies.

source

{Mini Pie Bar}

2011-06-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

I know I say this every week, but each week I am beyond thrilled to share a brand new bar idea on our Raising the Bar series! I’m not going to lie; it’s getting just a little bit tougher to stare at all of the dreamy desserts on my computer screen while trying to get in shape for summer, but who's counting calories, right?

Image courtesy of Cakewalk Desserts

Today’s sweet guest is the amazing Andrea Smetona, founder of Cakewalk Desserts. Andrea founded Cakewalk Desserts last summer as a bit of a side project. It was soon after that she realized the demand for these little sweet treats was the perfect match for her love of baking, turning this side project into her full-time love affair!

Cakewalk Desserts specializes in couture Cake Pops, Pie Pops and Mini Pies. These bite-sized sweet treats come in a variety of flavors and designs and make a perfect addition to a dessert table, a practical and elegant wedding favor and for some, are now even taking the place of the traditional wedding cake itself (hold on to that thought because you may change your mind later in the series).

Image courtesy of Lauren Hillary Photography

Images courtesy of Smetona Photo

Andrea’s educational background in Interior Design has given her an advantage in the mini dessert industry because they like to consider the "whole picture," meaning they take into account how these pops are best packaged for each occasion, the display and the overall presentation of the pops.

Images courtesy of Bethany Belle Photography (L) and Zoom Theory Photography (R)

Proper displays really showcase mini desserts and ensure that they aren’t missed or forgotten! There is something so special when a bride asks you to be a part of their big day, and Cakewalk knows that each order should be unique and reflect the style of the bride and groom they’re made for!

Images courtesy of Smetona Photo

Thanks Cakewalk Desserts for stopping by today and stay tuned because you may see more of Cakewalk Desserts back here soon!

{Sweet Wedding Inspirations: Sky Lanterns}

2011-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and had some time to reflect and pray for our service men and women and their families.

With Memorial Day behind us, I can’t help, but to think about the onset of summer. My husband (Eddie) and I were married almost 2 summers ago and I'm really looking forward to celebrating our wedding anniversary (preferably somewhere on a beach).

Over the long weekend, we were able to pop into the movie theater to see The Hangover Part 2. Although, I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie (I loved part 1), I did take away some sweet wedding inspiration. I thought this sky lantern tradition found in some Asian cultures, would be a unique idea to incorporate into a summer time, beach or destination wedding (just be sure to check with your city for permission first).

source

I was amazed by how pretty it looked so I did a little research. Here’s what I found… Sky lanterns are constructed from oiled rice paper in a bamboo frame. They contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern and lowers its density, causing the lantern to rise into the air, similar to a hot air balloon. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern floats back to the ground.

It is believed that, as the lanterns rise into the air, they take away troubles and bring good luck. Guests are able to write their wishes for the couple, to be sent to the sky or to be carried into the Heavens.

Did you or are you thinking of incorporating wedding traditions into your wedding day?

{Cotton Candy Bar}

2011-05-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Are you still with me? I always look forward to Thursday’s because I get to tell you all about the amazing sweet peeps that we have the privilege of working with, showcasing their sweet treats with unique bar ideas that we can help incorporate into your wedding or special event. Trust us; your guest will love the sweets!

Today’s sweet (and may I add inspirational) guest for our Raising the Bar blog series, certainly does not need an introduction, but just in case you don’t know of her, Mompreneur (Mom Entrepreneur), Nina Rodecker, I will tell you a little bit about her and her company, Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company.

"Inspired by "LIHI" (lee-HEE) - a Filipino term for pregnancy craving - Nina Rodecker founded Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company in 2008 and became a pioneer in catered cotton candy services. Her signature method of light, fluffy and melt-in-your mouth cotton candy became an instant smash hit and Tasty Clouds exploded leading her to the #1 spot in Startup Nation's 2010 Leading Moms in Business Competition and #1 overall in the 2009 Top Home Based Business Competition."

Pretty amazing, right? Well, not only does Tasty Clouds make dreamy cotton candy (sticks, tasty tubs and martini’s), but they also offer a variety of dessert selections including Caramel Apples, Sweet Sticks and Snow Cones! Say hello to carnival themed parties this summer!

Nina shares some fun facts about cotton candy:

· Its 99% air – What appears to be a large serving of cotton candy is really only a small part of sugar – the rest is air, which gives the cotton candy its light and airy texture and special appearance.

· A normal serving of cotton candy (about 1 oz.) has approximately 26 grams of carbs, about 100 calories and no fat. It usually contains less sugar than a can of an average soft drink.

· Cotton candy is also known as Fairy Floss or Candy Floss and was not renamed to cotton candy until the 1920’s... And if you are worried about cavities, there isn’t enough sugar in cotton candy to make your teeth form instant cavities.

· Did you know there is a national Cotton Candy day? It is celebrated on December 7.

See Nina in action on "My Fair Wedding" with David Tutera:

Back to those amazing photos we showed you above... they were taken by Marilyn Nakazato for a 'Water for Elephants' wedding inspiration photo shoot and concept video by Rustic Red Studio, recently featured on Green Wedding Shoes.

Want a chance to try Tasty Clouds cotton candy? Tasty Clouds is offering 10% off + FREE SHIPPING on Cotton Candy Orders of $50 or more, now through Memorial Day (5/30/2011). Be sure to enter code TCFREE50 at checkout.

Now isn’t that a sweet way to end the week? Thank you so much Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company for stopping by today!

{Sweet Sponsor: Sweet Dreamery Desserts}

2011-05-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

There is nothing sweeter than our partnership with vendors and businesses that give back to support our local communities. From donating baking lessons to raising funds and awareness for special causes, we enjoy partaking in local non-profit events with our sweet sponsor, Sweet Dreamery Desserts.

From Andrea Brackett, Founder of Sweet Dreamery Desserts (SDD), and a proud Chocoholic with a love of baking, "All desserts at SDD are baked from scratch; even the frostings and whipped creams are scratch made. Feel free to give SDD a challenge, because we love custom orders that motivate us to bake and decorate outside of the box".

SDD shares a passion for supporting local non-profit organizations and participating in vendor events where they get to meet and interact with the public. Check out some of their recent work within the community during EMS week!

Sweet Dreamery Desserts is an excellent local resource for all of your baking needs. From cookie baskets to cupcakes and wedding cakes, they’ve got you covered. What is even more exciting is that Sweet Dreamery Desserts is offering a 10% discount to all Glam Candies fans on any of their sweet treat orders! Just fan their Facebook page and tell them we said hello!

A sweet welcome to our sweet sponsor Sweet Dreamery Desserts!

Think you are a good fit to Advertise with Glam Candies? Contact us for a media kit and pricing. We are currently offering 200 x 50 px banner spaces to assist you with promoting your blog, services or products for up to 1 year! We look forward to working with you!

{Love Blossoms}

2011-05-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve ventured onto Pintrest. I haven’t shared any of my inspiration boards on here thus far, but I thought I'd share this one. I created it to provide some pretty sweet inspiration for my bride that I am meeting with this weekend. We agreed on a {Love Blossoms} themed dessert bar that will be displayed at her wedding in July. I love how the metallic shades of pinks, purples and blues shine and infuse a sleek, contemporary twist. Think she’ll like it?

I’m still finding my way around Pintrest, so if I’ve discredited your image, just let me know! The image sources are linked below.

Top Row Left to Right: Lanterns, Mochi, Sequins Middle Row Left to Right: Orchid Mini Cakes, Origami Butterflies, Origami Cherry Blossoms Bottom Row Left to Right: Ice, Cotton Candy Martini, Orchids

{Ice Cream Bar}

2011-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you are new to the Glam Candies blog, welcome! If you have been with us over the past couple of weeks, Thanks also for following along, and you may already be familiar with our new blog series, Raising the Bar. This blog series is completely dedicated to my love of planning events and styling dessert stations. I am always on the hunt for the most cutting edge bar ideas that will not only entertain, but will delight and entice your guests, creating that fun and memorable experience to be shared by all, on any occasion.

Delivering not only a sweet experience, but exceptional customer service, great-tasting quality products made with simple ingredients that are sweet on the environment, and ethical business practices to events in the Southern California area; I could hardly contain my excitement to welcome our next guest, for our Raising the Bar blog series, Sweet Lucie’s!

Not only did I have the honor of meeting the masterminds (husband and wife team), behind Sweet Lucie’s, Geri and Mike Czako at an industry event hosted by Utterly Engaged earlier in the year, but I had the pleasure of trying their organic handmade ice cream (and trust me, the pleasure was all mine)!

I was immediately drawn to cutest vintage ice cream cart I had ever seen, containing premium, organic, handmade ice creams and sorbets in customized flavors like Vanilla Bean, Cookies & Cream, Snickerdoodle, Coffee and Peanut Butter Cup (to name a few) drizzled in organic handmade sauces like caramel and chocolate and piled high with more organic toppings like coconut shavings, gummi bears and seasonal fruits (to name a few more).

Oh, back to the vintage ice cream cart…there she is...isn’t she’s a beauty?!...

Sweet Lucie’s evokes an era when ice cream was made with simple, natural ingredients. The organic ice creams and sauces are handmade especially for your special event, on the day of your event or on the day before, using only organic and natural ingredients and select fair trade vanilla, chocolates, teas, and coffees. Because the ice cream is handmade for each event, the flavors can be customized to go with your theme, color palette or special flavors for the celebrants.

Sweet Lucie’s prides itself on using only simple, all natural organic ingredients that are better for both you and the planet. Their serving cups and spoons are not only recyclable, but compostable as well.

Image courtesy of Gabriel Ryan

If you haven’t melted over this series yet :), wait until you read about the inspirational story behind Sweet Lucie’s…

Sweet Lucie’s all started when owner, Geri Czako, had a craving for something sweet. Geri and her husband Mike were expecting their first child, and Geri wanted ice cream.

To satiate her ice cream craving, but also to ensure that the ingredients were delicious, superior, and organic, Geri decided to make her own.

After months of experimentation, along with attending the world-famous Penn State Ice Cream course, Geri developed the ideal combination of organic ingredients and sweet perfection.

Geri and Mike soon welcomed their baby girl.

Her name is Lucie.

Images courtesy of He and She Photography

A huge Thanks to Sweet Lucie’s for stopping by today!

Until next time,

Miriam

{Bridesmaids}

2011-05-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Linda and I had a chance to see the new comedy Bridesmaids, starring one of my favorite actresses, Kristen Wiig. If you have seen the movie The Hangover, this film is rumored to be the female equivalent of it. Although we both had to drag our husbands along, they seemed to have enjoyed the movie just as much as we did. We all laughed hysterically in the theater, almost the entire time.

If you have ever been a Bride, Bridesmaid or a Maid of Honor, then you may be able to relate to the six main characters in the movie. The movie portrays how quickly a wedding can turn disastrous and how easily one can lose sight of what is most important during the wedding planning process and festivities leading up to the wedding.

With that said, it was different than the movie The Hangover, both men and women can enjoy it and have a good laugh together and it’s safe to say that we would all see it again.

Check out the movie trailer and some of the glamorous fashion we spotted on Harper’s BAZAAR.

{The Bridesmaids’ Shopover}

“For Kristen Wiig and her costars in the new comedy Bridesmaids, a night on the town ends up doing a lot more damage — to their wallets, at least — than a hangover.” - via Harper’s BAZAAR

Have you seen the movie Bridesmaids? We would love for you to share your thoughts on it.

XO,

Miriam

{Mini Donut Bar}

2011-05-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Last week, we kicked off our Raising the Bar series with a festive Nacho Bar. I was inspired to write this blog series to spark creative ways to entertain your guests through dessert, food and candy bars. This week, we are so happy to feature Dough-a-Deer!

Catering sweet treats to local weddings and events based in Southern California, Dough-a-Deer specializes in mini donuts, chocolate pretzels, doughpops (similar to cake pops), truffles and baby bunts. Not located in Southern California? Don’t fret. Shop their site for select items.

Surprise your guests with a unique donut bar that can be coordinated with your event colors and theme. See a full list of their delicious flavors here and let Glam Candies assist you with more presentation and pairing ideas.

Feast your eyes on Dough-a-Deer’s mini donuts!

Are dessert bars not an option for your event? These sweet favors will leave your guests with a lasting impression that they will savor and remember.

Thanks for stopping by Dough-a-Deer!

Do you have a bar idea that you would like to see featured? Share it with us!

{Rochelle & Jason’s Wedding, Anaheim Hills Golf Club, California}

2011-05-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

From the moment that I met with Rochelle to discuss her wedding day details, I knew that her wedding day was going to be very special. Her fiancé Jason was living out of state at the time, so planning their wedding was no easy task at hand. I eventually got to meet Jason at our walk through, at Anaheim Hills Golf Club, and I could just see how nervous and happy they both were when it all started to set in. After all, there were so many memorable moments to look forward to, like the jumping of the broom and the tearful toasts that were given by their family members and best friends, to Jason’s and the groomsmen’s surprise change into their dancing shoes - Adidas sneakers. On April 9^th, 2011, the long time sweethearts were married!

Here is a glimpse of their wedding. I can’t wait to share more of their story, photos and details with you. Congratulations Rochelle & Jason!

Thanks Rochelle and Jason for giving me the honor to share in your wedding day, to the talented team at Jessica Elizabeth Photography who captured the magic, to my planners and the rest of the team that made this day possible.

{Sweets for Mom}

2011-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you sweet Great's, Grandmother’s, Mother’s, Mother-in-Law's, new Mommy’s, Mommy-to-be’s and Auntie’s (because you get to share in some of the fun too)! We are sharing a special Mother’s Day sweet treat with you that we found via Mommy Knows.

Take a look at these dreamy cake pops. Although, the cake pops may look a little intimidating to make at first, the tutorial over at Mommy Knows makes it much easier for everyone to follow along! You may even want to consider spending some quality time with Mom over the weekend to make them. If you have ever tried cake pops, then you know how heavenly they all are.

For tons more cake pop inspiration, you'll have to stop by Bakerella's. This is my one stop shop for most of my baking questions and is where I first learned to make cake pops.

Enjoy!

Image courtesy of Mommy Knows

Dedicated to my mom. I love you mom! :)

{We're having a fiesta!} Celebrating 5 de Mayo

2011-05-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of 5 de Mayo, we are kicking off our new blog series:

Raising the Bar

Every week we will bring you a fabulous and delicious new bar! What kind of bar? Let’s think outside of candy…don’t get me wrong, we all love candy, but we want to know what types of bars you want to see featured here!

Share your ideas, we want to hear them!

This Nacho Bar would be an amazing party starter at your fiesta celebration!

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Happy 5 de Mayo!

Butterfly Themed 4th Birthday Party!

2011-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

We are enchanting you with a whimsical dessert table that we created for Pricilla, a sweet little girl, who happens to love sweets! Pricilla was surrounded by lots of sweetness as she celebrated her 4th birthday.

Drawing inspiration from her Tinkerbell inspired party; we incorporated a purple and green color palette with unexpected pops of orange and teal blues. The colorful sugar butterflies added a whimsy feel suitable for her age.

You will find our signature touch of glamour in the edible gold leaf that topped Pricilla’s favorite chocolate cake, frosted in lavender icing…she also adored the cookies!

Guests enjoyed red velvet filled cake pops, each hand dipped in chocolate and decorated with purple, green and gold sprinkles.

Butterfly kisses were displayed in purple vintage jars while the dessert table was adorned in floral vines, moss and ranunculus.

Mixtures of white and chocolate cupcakes were topped with gold leaf, green lily pads and orange, gold and teal colored butterflies to match the cake.

We integrated a variety of hand painted cookies including sunflowers, honeybees, butterflies, lily pads and butterflies.

We gave the cake stand and props a new life by painting them in a shimmery gold spray paint.

What’s a party without candy? Guest satisfied their sweet tooth with purple rock candy crystals, sweet tarts representing fairy dust, purple m&m’s and butterfly kisses.

Styling tips and tricks:

Tip #1 - This was an outdoor party so we put the desserts out just before the party started to keep them as fresh as possible and out of direct sunlight.

Tip #2 – Being that this was a child’s party; we used plastic and plexy glass vessels as candy jars and where ever possible rather than real glass.

Tip #3 – Take a few minutes to restock, remove or rearrange vessels once the sweets are consumed to keep a perfect presentation!

How adorable is the birthday girl sneaking off with a cookie...

Vendors

Design, Styling & Candies by: Miriam of Glam Candies

Desserts by: Eileen of Cucamonga Cakery

Photography: (C) 2011 Glam Candies

{Royal Wedding Cakes}

2011-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Royal wedding is only a few days away and everyone is anticipating what every detail of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day is going to be like. Although I can't wait to see the beautiful dress Kate wears, I'm equally excited to see what the wedding cake is going to look like. It has already been announced that the royal couple has chosen to feature two cakes. The main cake will be a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake with white icing created by designer Fiona Cairns. There will also be a special chocolate biscuit cake for Prince William reminiscent of his favorite childhood dessert.

What we don't know just yet is what the main cake will look like. Undoubtedly, it will be amazingly beautiful looking at Fiona Cairn's past work. Although the design remains a secret, we've heard that Kate has asked Fiona to incorporate popular English styling such as piping and scrollwork on the cake. She has also asked Cairn's to represent different blooms and foilage in her design that was very popular in the Victorian era.

In the spirit of this Royal wedding that is upon us and celebrating Mother nature's beauty that inspires brides everywhere, I thought it would be fun to feature beautiful flower and foilage inspired cake designs.

Which one is your favorite....

Courtesy of Elegant Cheese Cakes

Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Courtesy of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes

Courtesy Party Flavors Custom Cakes

Courtesy of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes

Courtesy of Mishelle Handy Cakes

{Eye Candy :: Kate Spade :: Book Clutch}

2011-04-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Meet our latest crush, the Kate Spade Book Clutch.

Whether you are starting a new book collection or are looking to add a classic title to your bookshelf, one of these striking book clutches would be a fun accessory to complete an ensemble. Consider making a fashion statement in one of these Kate Spade book clutches for your engagement or rehearsal dinner, bachelorette party or even a sweet bridal shower.

Emma

Romeo + Juliet

Great Expectations

The Importance of Being Earnest

I Married Adventure

{Spring Sweet Treats for under $20}

2011-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love sprucing up my home décor without spending a fortune or making a huge commitment. When I create tablescapes I prefer splurging on a few key pieces to make a statement rather than including and incorporating everything that I find that screams Easter to me.

Below are a few handpicked items that can easily transform your some of your every day furniture pieces such as a dining or coffee table, sideboard or mantel and make your transition into Spring just a little more cheerful & fun. I challenged myself to stay under a $20 budget for each item.

Candleholders can be used on any of the furniture pieces I mentioned above. Last year, I purchased a few of these Trix Candleholders from Crate and Barrel and filled them with pastel colored m&m’s, jelly beans and tealights.

Candleholder $4.95

Candies $3

Tealights $5.95

{Napkin Rings}

Napkin rings are another fun accessory to update your dining table. I love these silk colorful Gerber daisy napkin rings also from Crate & Barrel.

napkin ring $2.95

Better yet, if you are into crafting, here is a great tutorial on making your own birds nest napkin rings from Scissors and Spatulas.

Grapevine wreaths $2.10

mini speckled eggs $2.99

{Table Runner}

I LOVE this tablescape. I love the doilies used to create a table runner, the cherry blossom tree (consider hanging Easter eggs from the branches or filling the vase with moss or candies), the paper Easter egg napkin rings (can double as place cards), the simple floral egg cup arrangements and I would love it even more if it was my dining table right now!

doilies $2.99

source

{Candy Filled Centerpieces}

Complete the look with a fun Easter/Spring centerpiece. I really enjoy seeing candy filled floral centerpieces. I have to try very hard to not eat the candies while crafting.

vase $10.95

candies $3

Fresh blooms approx $6

Hoppy Decorating!

Spring Sweet Treats {Part I}:

2011-04-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

It’s April and we are in the midst of wedding season here at Glam Candies. We have been working on some very sweet & fabulous weddings and darling parties and we cannot wait to share them with you, but first check out these sweet treats that we have spotted in time for Spring & Easter!

{Cotton Candy Easter Eggs by Tasty Clouds}

Wondering what to fill your Easter baskets with this year? Opt for a fun alternative and try out Tasty Clouds limited edition cotton candy Easter eggs!

With 14 savory cotton candy flavors, we can't get enough of these tasty cotton candy sweet treats and they are perfect for this years egg hunts, party favors, gifts, ornaments or decoration.

Hunt this limited edition down at Tasty Clouds before it’s too late!

{Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Peeps}

“What if regular peeps swam in a pond filled with delicious chocolate?” Well now they do and that makes them even more delicious and cuter than ever!

We spotted a new trend on this classic marshmallow sweet treat over at Candy Warehouse. Your choice of Milk or Dark Chocolate perfect for a springtime dessert table or gift basket.

Sweet Tip - Dip them in white chocolate, throw in some sprinkles or make them your own creation! This would make for a very fun and easy DIY activity!

{Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Bunny Cupcakes}

Speaking of marshmallows, we also spotted a bunny peep show! Recently featured on Cupcakes Take the Cake, these bunny peep cupcakes are surely going to get some attention!

Hop on over to The Sweetest Baker to check them out!

We hope that you're thinking about picking up or making some sweet treats because we have a fantastic DIY Spring tablescape to share with you later this week!

{Brett & Jasmine's Wedding - Riverside, California}

2011-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

We are honored to share this new wedding feature with you. Brett and Jasmine (daughter of John Goolsby of Godfather Films) were married on the warmest winter day in December at a private residence in Riverside, California.

We were so excited to meet with the couple and discuss all of the inspiration details for their candy bar for their wedding. The couple decided on a gorgeous red, black and charcoal color palette for their candy bar with no specific theme (what's not to love about the glam color palette!).

While Jasmine and I discussed Swarovski crystal embellishments, color swatches, a candy bar display signage that read "Love is Sweet", rock candies and candy sticks, Brett waited patiently with only one special request, that the candy bar included hot tamales (cinnamon jellies)!

With the highest gratitude for allowing us to be a part of this amazing day, we bring you a glimpse of Brett and Jasmine’s wedding. You will enjoy seeing their fun; genuine personalities and immense love for one another shine through in their concept video and same day edit that played on the big screen at their wedding reception.

Brett & Jasmine, we wish you a beautiful life together.

A very special Thank you to all of the wonderful vendors that we had the opportunity to work with especially Samantha of Papermints for the beautiful custom designed stationery, Cristina of Unforgettable Events for the gorgeous specialty linens, Jenner Goolsby of Fabulous Events for planning a beautiful wedding and keeping us in mind and to Troy and Marjorie Miller, husband and wife team at Imagery Concepts who provided us with these beautiful images. Additionally, to the brides’ father, John Goolsby of Godfather Films, who is consecutively recognized as one in 25 of the most exceptional videographers worldwide. To see the full list of vendors and team of Same Day Edit Cinematographers click here.

Enjoy Brett & Jamine's Concept Video, Proposal, Same Day Edit Wedding Video. How lucky are Jasmine & Brett to have all of it captured on film! To see more of Jasmine & Brett before their big day, click here.

{Dylan's Candy Bar}

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was in New York City last week and I got to check out Dylan’s Candy Bar! I have always wanted to go to the world’s largest candy store and I was so lucky to be there on my birthday!

A couple of reasons why I needed to see this specialty retailer in person, which to me is a Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory attraction in itself 1/ the CANDY and 2/ I am so inspired by the founder, Dylan Lauren, who is the daughter of legendary fashion designer, Ralph Lauren.

Having a background in the fashion industry and in starting my own candy event planning company, I love when fashion and candy mix, so naturally, this becomes one of my favorite places EVER!

Why do I find Dylan so amazing? When Dylan turned 5, they played Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at her birthday party. Dylan was so inspired by the movie that she dreamed one day she would open a candy store.

While studying art history in London and Rome her junior year in college, she would set out to explore new candies and collect artful candy wrappers and packaging from her travels (some would accuse me of the same).

After graduating from Duke University, Dylan set up an event planning company, but always found herself coming back to her love for candy. She was finally able to realize her childhood dream in 2001, with the opening of the flagship store in New York City, Dylan’s Candy Bar.

Since the opening of the first specialty candy store in 2001, Dylan has open 4 more locations and has renovated the New York City location to include a 3^rd floor, which houses all parties and events, a café and a sweet treats bakery.

Customers can treat themselves to classic soda fountain favorites, ice cream, frozen yogurt, old fashioned, novelty and nostalgic candies, fine Belgium chocolates, sweet treats and desserts, fashion apparel and accessories, beauty products, gifts and souvenirs.

Enjoy some of the pictures I took while I was in candy heaven and please excuse the quality (I am not an expert photographer)! I can only dream of opening a candy store like this one day here in Los Angeles :)

Your favorite Celebs love Dylan's Candy Bar too!

Me with the Easter Bunny!

I got to fill up my container with my favorite sweets!

They filled a tub with gumballs!

Select Dylan's Candy Bar products can also be found at Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora, Urban Outfitters and at Juicy Couture stores or at Dylan’s Candy Bar Online Store.

{for Japan with Love}

2011-03-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

We are joining Utterly Engaged and ever thine. ever mine. ever ours. in a {Bloggers Day of Silence} to raise awareness and donations for the recovery efforts going on in Japan.

ShelterBox, is a non-profit “international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide”.

Although, it seems as if there is so little we can do from here, we are proud to take action. Our donations WILL help make a difference.

We encourage you to participate and donate any amount that you can.

We hope that you enjoy your weekend and cherish your time with your friends, family and loved ones.

We will share new posts next week.

{Sweet treats for St. Patrick's Day}

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, we've rounded up a few easy DIY sweet treats for you to try to attempt! And not to worry, these sweet treats are completely leprechaun proof! :)

Rainbow Pudding

Create a fun rainbow effect by mixing & layering pudding!

What you'll need:

instant vanilla pudding, food coloring, a bowl & glassware

Get ready to mix, layer, eat & repeat!

{find the complete recipe on makes and takes}

Rainbow Krispy Bars

Create colorful krispy treat bars with fruity pebbles!

What you'll need:

mini marshmallows, butter, fruity pebbles cereal

simply melt, mix, cool, cut, eat & repeat!

{find the complete recipe on babble}

Rainbow Cupcake Cake Pops

Are you up for a bigger DIY challenge? Well it's your lucky day! "Put a pop on top" by making your own version of these whimsical rainbow cupcake cake pops.

{pop on over the rainbow to Pizzazzerie to learn how our friends at oh goodie designs & bon bon teamed up for this fabulous dessert table i-shoot}

Lucky Charm

And because every rainbow leads to a pot of gold...a limited edition lucky charm by Juicy Couture.

OK, so this one is just eye candy, but what a fun treat finding a pot of gold would be!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

{Glitz and Glamour}

2011-03-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

The annual Academy Awards are always a great inspiration to fashionistas every where, but this year I found it to be a perfect way to get glamorous ideas for any type of wedding. The red carpet was full of nude, blush and white gowns that shined with sequins and sparkle. I also loved seeing the different textures from feathers to lace ruffles that made each gown come to life with every movement.

The Old Hollywood Glamour......Mandy Moore looked immaculate in a very simple and chic Monique Lluillier gown. She also kept her accessories minimal giving her a sophisticated and classic look.

The Romantic Garden....Mila Kunis looked ethereal in her light lavender Elie Saab dress. It reminded me of warm summer evenings and blushing pink wines....one of my favorite gowns of the evening.

The Intimate Destination.....I loved the casual yet refined look of Michelle Williams' understated Chanel gown. I think it would be a perfect choice for a small wedding with friends and family at a place far, far away. Just the right amount of subtle shimmer to focus all eyes on you.

The Celebrity.....there is no better way to make a statement on your big day than by having an amazing dress that shows you have a flare for the dramatic. Hilary Swank looked divine in her Gucci Premiere feathered dress. I thought it was key that the dress was in a muted grey allowing her to shine without letting the ostrich feathers take over.

The Fairy-tale Bridesmaid.....every girl deserves to feel like a princess on your wedding day, right? Let's not forget about younger bridesmaids who would love to feel just as beautiful. Hailee Steinfeld looked perfect in this pale pink Marchesa gown with tulle skirt. Her glittering headband and metallic clutch added just the right amount of charm to her ensemble.

All images courtesy of Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America

{Engaged - Jessica + Paul @ Santa Monica Beach Pier}

2011-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Jessica + Paul love the beach so what better way to kick of their e-session than with a little fun in the sun {and sand} at the Santa Monica beach pier!

To see more of these two lovebirds, head on over to Anapaul Photographers!

{Best Wedding Sites Magazine}

2011-02-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce that Glam Candies secured a couple of placements in the Best Wedding Sites first online magazine! The February launch issue is completely dedicated to LOVE. As you browse through the pages, you will find wedding vendor design challenges, gorgeous tablescape inspirations, DIY downloads, handmade "love" gift picks, real glamour weddings and a red hot engagement session.

Aside from being featured, the lovely floral centerpiece that was created for our Valentine’s Day photo shoot made the magazine cover {congrats to our collaborative friends Jacin, Gladys & Tara}!

Valentine’s Day picnic turned proposal handmade “love” gift picks

Congratulations to Brenda and Best Wedding Sites on the success of their new online magazine and their newly re-launched website!