Items available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop: Lollipop Sticks Swirl Lollipops Striped Paper Straws Mason Jar Drinking Glasses + Daisy Cut Lids Ribbon, Fabric Mini Plastic Cordial Glasses Electroplated Mini Spoons
Kara said this about planning the party- “This party was a patriotic tribute to one of the trendiest treats of the moment: the all-American pie. The event showcased some fresh and clever interpretations of this classic-turned-trendy dessert. No doubt KPI readers are familiar with the old adage, as American as apple pie, and pie definitely seemed the natural choice when I began planning this patriotic celebration. True confession: Ive had a love-affair with pie (and the concept for this party) ever since I watched the movie Waitress, drooling over each and every luscious pie concocted by Keri Russell behind the counter of her pie diner (Sidenote: Ive been waiting ever since for someone to publish a cookbook of the pies featured in the film — including her recipe for Falling In Love Chocolate Mousse Pie — but alas, no such cookbook has materialized to date). The porch of my historic 1910 American Foursquare home in suburban Washington, D.C. provided an ideal setting for this tribute to a humble dessert which dates back to our founding fathers. I incorporated vintage touches throughout the décor (an assortment of vintage cake stands / antique mason jars / wooden crates; handmade paper pinwheels and cupcake-liner paper flowers; colorful fabric runners and flag banners stitched by my talented neighbor; an antique hutch rescued from the trash heap and spiffed up with a new coat of paint; even a vintage bicycle loaned to me by another neighbor, which arrived at the shoot sporting a woven Nantucket bike basket). I admittedly took a bit of liberal license with the traditional patriotic palette, using red, white and aqua as the main colors, and sprinkling Modern Vintage fabrics by Bonnie & Camille for Moda Fabrics and aqua-striped sip straws throughout the display for added charm. Other fun (and eco-friendly) details on the buffet included tin pie plates (purchased from the dollar store and dressed up with fabric and wax paper liners) and half-pint milk bottles and mason jars adorned with custom printables by Anders Ruff in lieu of plastic disposables. As the proprietor of Freshly Baked Confections + Petite Sweets, I am often asked to create extravagant mini-dessert buffets for my clients parties and events. I decided to take this celebrations mini-buffet up a notch or two by creating an all-American pie buffet, inspired by the delicious recipes and gorgeous presentation of the pies featured in Dani Cones book, Cutie Pies. I developed a menu to include both savory and sweet pies, turning to trusted partner, Windows Catering, to tackle the savory recipes, while Freshly Baked handled the sweet stuff. Together, we prepared a smorgasbord of pies in all shapes, crusts and sizes, including blackberry pie pops; apple, cheddar, rosemary pie jars; lobster mac n cheese cutie pies; shrimp and crab salad tartlettes; ham and gruyere hand pies; pie cake pops; and even deconstructed versions like mudslide pie dessert shots and blueberry pie milkshakes. By keeping serving sizes petite, guests felt comfortable sampling all the different pie varieties on the buffet and there were plenty of choices to satisfy every palette! No matter how you slice it, this party was a heap of fun without being fussy. The theme could work especially well for the 4th of July, but some minor tweaks for a baby shower, afternoon tea or even a casual wedding reception would be well as ‘easy as pie’. Vendors and Credits: Event Stylist: Kara Praed from Freshly Baked Confections + Petite Sweets Photographer: Cynthia Chin from MoxieSox Photography Caterer: Windows Catering Company, www.catering.com Cake Pops, Pie Pops, & Pie Jars: Freshly Baked Confections + Petite Sweets Fabrics: Vintage Modern & Ruby by Bonnie & Camille for Moda Fabric Printables: Anders Ruff Custom Designs Flag Banners & Runners: Amber Blaha Items available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop: Lollipop Sticks Swirl Lollipops Striped Paper Straws Mason Jar Drinking Glasses + Daisy Cut Lids Ribbon, Fabric Mini Plastic Cordial Glasses Electroplated Mini Spoons
