TUCKER BEACH

Fiesta Fiesta

4/30/2015

Last weekend, I co-hosted a Fiesta Engagement party for my sister and soon to be brother. Here are some pictures of some D*I*Y* decorations and delicious cup cakes I had a blast making. I have a lot of events I am working on along with a lot of trips coming up and decorating a new home, so this party had to be perfect on a budget. Ofcourse having endless money makes life a lot easier, but it's way more fun and rewarding to figure out how to succeed on a budget. HERE IS HOW I DID IT. I found most of my ideas on Pinterest. I also found some decor ideas from The Hostess with with Mostess Blog. I found the "SALUD" large letters in the 40% percent off bin at Michael's arts and crafts, making them about 2 dollars a piece. They were bright pink and purple so I covered them with metallic gold spray paint and then used spray adhesive to attach loose gold glitter (which stuck everywhere.. note my glittered fingers). They were all out of U's so I had to work with the G, which thankfully worked out. They gold maracas I found for under a dollar a pair at Party City and I did the same procedure with them. The Beer bottles were FREE, as someone had brought them over for dinner the night before. I used these as flower vases for the red, orange, and yellow roses I picked up. I only bought one punch of mixed roses to save and they were only $9.99 at Fresh Market. I split these up using one per a vase to make a bigger statement on less money. I also had some very tiny clear vase's I bought at HABIT FOR HUMANITY for 30 cents each.

I love love love to cook. But eh baking isn't my strong suit, so I was over the moon when these cupcakes turned out perfect and my sister couldn't get enough of them! They were great for a light desert after filling our selves on tacos and chips, and even better the next morning with coffee. I found these yummy cup cakes on The Novice chef and became a huge fan of her site. Below is the recipe taken from her site. I cut out a key note that you definitely need to only fill the cupcake pans about half full so the cakes will be flat on top.

ingredients:

For the cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 (1 stick) cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk

For the frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

directions:To make the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined then stir in the vanilla and oil. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the butter mixture and gently stir in until barely combined. Add half of the milk, mixing until just combined. Repeat these steps with the remaining flour mixture and milk, ending with the flour. Do not over mix.

Fill each cupcake tin with 2 tablespoons of batter, or until the cupcake tin is filled half way. Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with one or two crumbs clinging to it. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

Cream the butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Then stir in the vanilla. Beat the mixture well, until light and fluffy.

Pipe onto cupcakes, sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar and top with a drizzle of Dulce De Leche if desired.

I found the FREE cactus cut outs for the cupcakes HERE. I also found the easiest margarita punch ever HERE . Everyone was raving about the punch! I am so thrilled I made an extra batch to throw in my freezer for a later date! We set up a photo booth inside using what we already had and some very cheap mustaches from Party City. I bought some fake spanish looking flowers and a headband from the dollar store and made a flower crown prop. We also threw in some of the gold maracas for the photo booth. Tea lights from the dollar store and a couple of Party city banners put the finishing touches on the fiesta! To the left is a picture of the Groom twining with the mannequin/ photo booth prop we set up. (It's always good to let friends or guest to bring a little if they ask to help. Both of these tops and hats came from guest who didn't mind sharing for the evening). Below are some party photos. Including Myself, my boyfriend ( I like to call my D*I*Y assistant) , my sister the bride and her groom! I am wearing a fun little dress that only cost around $20.00 from Tobi, and my sister wore a dress from one of our favorite sites Rent the Runway.