Ringing in 2012 with a pink news years eve party!

Wow, I can't believe that 2011 is almost over, this year has gone by too fast, but I am excited for what 2012 has in store for me. We are having a small party tonight and I was inspired by this picture I found of a pink new years eve party with silver and gold accents.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas from Painted Preppy!

Merry Christmas to all of our followers!

I got an early Christmas present, a Canon Rebel, here is the first image I shot with at the dinner table, i love how the candle light illuminated the little characters!

More gift wrap inspiration!

I love to give presents and as much as I love to give them, I also love to wrap them! As promised here is some of my favorite Christmas wrapping inspiration, check out the reindeer box as well as the shiny red boxes that look like a shirt, so creative!

I never thought about using shiny white paper and bright colored bows, but I adore the way this looks!

Gift Wrap Ideas

In the next few days we will be posting a ton of gift wrapping inspiration, so be sure to check back! Today I found this adorable tutorial on Pinterest, love the polka dot paper!!

New DIY tutorial section

Hi all, hope everyone is having a great December!



We have a new section on Painted Preppy, DIY tutorials, here you will find DIY tutorials on many different subjects. Each month we will feature a new tutorial, January will feature how to assemble your own cupcake toppers!

Santa Hat Brownies

I just came across these santa hat brownies and I think they are just adorable!


I ran across a photo of these on Erica’s Sweet Tooth.  They’re so good and easy to make, I can't wait to share these with my family and friends! Here is the recipe below:
Santa Hat Brownies
Adapted from this recipe found on Erica’s Sweet Tooth
Yields 12-16 brownies
Ingredients:
1 pan of your favorite brownies, cooled and cut into desired size and shape (I used a round cutter)
12-16 small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)

Mascarpone Buttercream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Method:
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and salt.  Add 2-1/2 cups of sugar, half a cup at a time and continue beating until smooth.  Add more sugar, if needed to reach desired consistency and sweetness.
To assemble, pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream on top of each brownie.  Cut off the base of a strawberry so it is flat and place it upside down on each brownie, pushing slightly to secure in place.  Top the tip of the strawberry with a dot of buttercream to finish the santa hat.

Color of the year for 2012 TANGERINE TANGO!

The world doesn't need more gray, and the blues are covered, too. What consumer products need is a jolt, a shot of energy and boldness, all of which comes from Tangerine Tango, the reddish-orange hue that Pantone announced Wednesday as its top color for 2012. 

"There's the element of encouragement with orange, it's building on the ideas of courage and action, that we want to move on to better things. I think it would be a disservice to go with a relaxed, soothing color now," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the research division of Pantone Inc., which creates color standards for the fashion, beauty and home industries.
The annual forecast for the next year's dominant color takes into consideration both what Pantone thinks shoppers want and need. Those are influenced by the designer runways, fabric shows, news events, pop culture and consumer habits. "Part of what we do is look at the zeitgeist," Eiseman explained. "We have to look at everything in the world around us. It's not an arbitrary choice."


Consumer spending is a big player in reviving the economy and it needs adrenaline, she said. Orange is a more urgent call to action than last year's hot-pink hue Honeysuckle, which was also supposed to channel cheerfulness coupled with nostalgia. Before that, there was the more serene turquoise and optimistic yellow.

Article by:

By Samantha Critchell

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Decorating Christmas cookies has always been a long standing tradition around our house, my grandmother always make sugar cookies and decorated them with the smallest of details. When I saw these Christmas cookies from Sugar Belles I feel in love!! They are so cute and festive, I could stare at the pics all day. The cute little penguins look like they are actually wearing sweaters, genius!! The platter of cookies with the santa face, reindeer, and the present are just adorable. Who wouldnt want to serve these cookie at their Christmas party or family gathering, just delightful!