Fiesta Time

It's quite fitting that Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday this year. More fiesta time with less hesitation to imbibe one more margarita-- knowing that the office bell doesn't ring in the morning (just Church or something like that). But, anyways, it's party time. If you're having a few friends over with no extraordinary plans in mind, no need to hustle and bustle over the setup, just pull out the salted rims, gauc and chips and maybe a sweet treat like these adorable cacti cookies.

If you're feeling extra festive, then maybe a few of my decor ideas will lend a hand. I pulled together some of the cactus plants I had laying around the house to spruce up my table along with a colorful woven tablecloth from my latest travels to Mexico. A clever use of some extra terra-cotta pot saucers made for the perfect app size plates. A fun centerpiece idea, a piñata! If you don't have the time to make my DIY version, I'm sure the party store has a few Cinco de Mayo worthy paper pieces in stock. The mini margarita glasses were a Homegoods, as were the tassel trimmed napkins. Find more alike pieces linked below. Enjoy!

Minnie Cakes

I am a huge Disney fan. I have many wonderful memories from childhood, visiting Disney World. My parents have taken my sisters and I a few times as kids and teens. The High School I went to had a senior class trip to Disney that I will never forget, as well. I have dreams about the Jasmine pajamas I wore as a little girl, and when I see Sunflowers, I often think of Pocahontas. That is how much I love Disney, or maybe just how much I wish I was a princess of some sort.

Lucky for me, my girlfriend Kelcey and her Mother Dianne, generously invited me along on a girl's trip to the parks this weekend. So, it's a girl's weekend in Orlando and that means a few things in addition to princess time...Harry Potter, boozing around the world, a lot of talking, walking, The Hulk and Minnie Mouse. 

Since I am a guest on the trip, I felt it was best to bring some goodies in tow. Prosecco in one bag and Minnie cupcakes in the other. I spent a little extra time on the decorating, and not so much on the baking of the cupcakes. This batch, is purely boxed and Betty. I am not ashamed! The decorations were fun in the making, and Betty Crocker taste quite great. Take a peek at the pics below to see the tricks to creating the bow. Everything else is as easy as shopping for "minnie" Oreos, mixing food dye, and piping the icing onto the cupcakes with a Wilton icing bag and 4B tip. If I stumble upon Minnie in Magic Kingdom, I will be sure to post! xo RCN

Slice red Fruit Roll-Ups or Fruit by the Foot into 1" x 1/2" rectangles.

Then fold each rectangle in half onto itself and pinch the ends together, creating a little dimple, like picture below.

Take two folded pieces of the Fruit Roll-Ups and overlap the dimpled edges of each onto one another, and squeeze together. Continue to manipulate until it bulges at the middle and creates a clear shape of a bow with center knot.