On this lovely Friday, I am honored to present the cutest coasters you've ever seen!

A few days ago I was in the mood to buy some coasters for my home. I jumped on the Internet and went directly to Etsy. After browsing for a few minutes, I came across the most adorable coasters created by The Hive Design Studio. It was so hard for me to decide which design was my favorite. I think the hedgehogs are so cute and cuddly, as are the lovebirds. On the other hand, the green flower coasters are so simple, yet appropriate for any occasion. Hmmm, maybe I just need all three designs.

If you are interested in these awesome coasters, created by The Hive Studio, here are some things you might want to know:

Coaster details

• 8 coasters per package
• 3 1/2 " circle
• Hand printed on vintage letterpress

While the press is hot, visit The Hive Design Studio and place your order today.

♥ Have a great weekend, and don't forget to visit Pairs and Paris on Monday, March 1 for more projects!

→ If you want to participate in our Boost Your Business Contest, read more about the contest. ←

For the longest time, I have wanted to throw a pastry party. A party with cupcakes, croissants, donuts, muffins, you name it! So, to get everything started, I have decided to make my own invitations. Check out my loaf of bread.

For now, I am in search of new pastry recipes and pastry themed stationery to hopefully prepare for a pastry party this Summer.

I have only made mousse once in my life, and though it turned out great, I am always willing to try new recipes. Today's project is brought to you by Williams-Sonoma, and if your sweet tooth happens to throb this weekend, then try this recipe:

Ingredients

• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
• 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Melting the Chocolate

• Put the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and place it over but not touching barely simmering water in the bottom pan.
• Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate melts.
• Scrape the melted chocolate into a large bowl and set aside.

Whipping the Cream

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream, confectioners' sugar, instant coffee and vanilla on medium-high speed until firm peaks form.

Finish the mousse

• Whisk about one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate until smooth.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
• Divide the mousse between individual goblets or bowls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Serve cold.
• Serves 6.

NOTE: A nice touch is to garnish the top of the mouse with chocolate shavings. I just use a potato peeler to get nice, long shavings. I typically use a Hershey's candy bar, and if you do too, make sure the candy bar is stored at room temperature. This ensures nice, long, curly flakes of chocolate.

The photograph and recipe above are the property of Williams-Sonoma. Visit their site for more recipes.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Desserts, by Elinor Klivans (Oxmoor House, 2007).

Today I have the honor of featuring a few marvelous items created by Corkey Creations. Deidra is the master mind behind Corkey Creations, and I consider her craftiness to be elegant and a definite possibility for any wedding.

At Corkey Creations, you can have your napkin rings or place card holders personalized. That's right! You can visit the Corkey Creations Etsy Shop to see the list of options they offer. You may choose from a variety of ink colors, ribbon colors, and images that you want to appear on your cork.

In addition to making great napkin rings and place card holders, they would also be great as a favor. Give your guests something to remind them of your special occasion. Hurry on over to Corkey Creations and place your order today.

→ If you want to participate in our Boost Your Business Contest, read more about the contest. ←

It's true that I spend too much time on line searching for do-it-yourself projects. Also, I will admit that the ones I am most likely to do are the ones that do not involve instructions with 1,000 steps. That is why I like these do-it-yourself napkin rings that I spotted on Schlosser Designs. Personally, I think they would be a great touch for an all girls garden party.

The photograph above is copyright protected by Schlosser Designs.

Oh, and don't forget to participate in our Boost Your Business Contest! Read more about the contest.

While browsing on the Pottery Barn Website, I came across another item that I so love. Glass pedestals are one of those items that I knew existed, but never really thought about purchasing. I am changing my mind though. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have made many cupcakes throughout my life, but really never knew of a way to present them in an elegant fashion. Thanks, Pottery Barn, for giving me a new item to add to my collection.

On the other hand, I own oodles (that means a lot!) of punch bowls. Don't get me wrong, I adore them, but recently I have been in search of something more. I have been in search of a bowl that does not contain some type of floral design. Again, I have turned to the Pottery Barn, and have found a punch bowl to fulfill my wishes.

One thing I like about this punch bowl is the fact that it is just... simple. It's not flashy or antique, but modern and tasteful.

The photographs in this post are the property of Pottery Barn.

Oh, and don't forget to participate in our Boost Your Business Contest! Read more about the contest.

Win the chance to have your business and products featured here on Pairs and Paris!

How do I participate?

Submit a photograph of a project or object that you believe would be an amazing touch to an at-home entertainment party. Examples are letter pressed invitations, personalized napkin rings, or anything else that would make party guests say, "Ooooooo."

E-mail your photograph(s) to pairsandparis at gmail dot com. The deadline is March 1, 2010 by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Notifying Winners

Winners will be notified here on our blog on March 5, 2010.

What exactly is the prize?

If you win our contest, your business or hobby and products will be featured here on our blog. We will do a write up about you, your business, and the products you make and/or sell.

The Pottery Barn is by far one of my favorite party planning stores. Well, it's more of a party planning decor store. Regardless, I love it, and have a hard time passing one without doing a little browsing.

This Summer, I plan on doing a little heavy party throwing, and I am sad to say that I do not even own a Galvanized Metal Party Ice Bucket. A few close friends of mine have one, and it makes beverage searching much easier.

Eat Drink Chic has created bottle labels for your sodas, if you really want to add a touch of color to your ice bucket. I absolutely cannot wait to try this project this summer, and I am already browsing the Web for a super classy galvanized ice bucket. Visit Eat Drink Chic for more information about this project.

The Galvanized Ice Bucket photo is copyright protected by Pottery Barn.

The Cream Soda photo is copyright protected by Eat Drink Chic.

I have made many, many cupcakes in my days. Chocolate ones, vanilla ones, red velvet ones, swirly colored ones, you name it! But, one obstacle I always face is, "Hmm, now how do I transport these little fellas?" If there is anything I lament it is wasted, smeared icing on a cake dome.

Fortunately, my cupcake transporting problems are over with. Julia, owner and cupcake creator at Jules Cupcakes has created her own cupcake boxes, and I must say they are quite lovely. I can't wait to order these for my next party. You can order yours on her Website.

Thanks, Jules, for solving my cupcake dilemma.

As much as I love an elegant dinner party with orchid centerpieces and Swarovski crystal napkin rings, I also love the simple details as well. Something can be said for plain ole deliciosity (no, deliciosity is not a word, but I love the sound of it!).

Thanks to Ami at Elizabeth Anne Designs, I discovered a new way to feed pie to my friends. Without a plate and fork.

I urge you to visit one of my favorite sites, Bakerella and see her fantastic photo tutorial on how to create these delicious pie pops.

Photograph provided by Elizabeth Anne Designs via Luxirare and Craftzine.

Flower arrangements are an essential element of at-home entertainment. Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer parties equally deserve flower topped end tables and mantles.

Kelly, stylist of all things creative, has recently taken on an incredible task. She created these gorgeous flower arrangements for Drybar's grand opening. As you can see, each immaculate green and yellow bloom presents an image of perfection against every surface. Clear vessels of appropriate sizes were used to display the flower stems, giving you a true, under the surface image.

First of all, it is only 31 days until the first official day of Spring. Oh, Happy Day! So, as Winter slowly begins to wind down, I am already planning my first Spring treat.

Glory Albin has already created a new image for those fluffy, white marshmallows we all love. These Spring Marshmallow Pops are as tasty as they are divinely decorated.

You can find a similar recipe on the Hostess blog, but I have modified the recipe below to best match the photo above:

Ingredients

• Marshmallows
• Pink candy melts (you can use any color you wish)
• Sprinkles
• Lollipop sticks (look here)
• Cupcake liners
• Clear baggies (look here)
• Ribbon

Directions

• Insert lollipop sticks into marshmallows and set aside.
• Melt the candy melts according to package instructions.
• Dip each marshmallow (with stick) into the melted candy, until about 1/2 of the marshmallow is coated.
• Coat with sprinkles while candy coating is still warm.


• Allow the marshmallow to completely dry, and position in the cupcake liner.
• Insert Marshmallow Pop into a clear baggie, and tie with ribbon.

I hope these lovely treats are a success for you =)

Who can resist buttercream nestled between two raspberry macaron shells? Especially when they are tasty and elegantly assembled? Aran, spectacular photographer, stylist and food enthusiast has truly found a way to transform traditional macarons into an adorned, sweet mini-sandwich. Something oh so appealing to the eyes, and palate as well. I know, I know! You can hardly wait to prepare these macarons yourself. Visit Cannelle et vanille for the recipe.

All macaron photos are copyright protected by Aran Goyoaga.

Welcome, and thanks for visiting! Pairs and Paris is focused on at-home entertainment projects that will make your dinner parties complete. From ice sculptures to elegant menu cards, we are in search if anything unique and elegant.

We would love to feature your entertainment project. If you have a project you would like to see featured on Pairs and Paris, e-mail us for more information.

♥ Happy Valentine's Day