Read on for more stunning pictures and party details…

Here are the party details and vendor credits as told by Chana…

We really went all out with the yellow theme! I bought the cupcakes and sugar cookies from Dorthy Ann Bakery

I made the yellow oreo truffles, the mini fruit tarts and the smore sandwiches myself- Sugar Wood Petite Treats

I also styled the event myself using the pops of yellow and purchasing matching yellow rompers for my daughters. We loved the Sunshine printable package SO much because it really left a ton of room to run free with the design aspect!

Thanks Chana for sharing your creative ideas with us!

Visit our shop for many more summer party ideas.

Follow us on Pinterest for more party inspiration!

As a kick off to the fabulous Chillin’ and Grillin’ Pinterest party tonight (starting at 9pm EST/6pm PST) we are offering one of you our Nautical 4th of July Printable DIY Collection.  With all the awesome and creative party hosts (including Tori Spelling) pinning their fabulous BBQ ideas, we figured what better way to tie the entire party together than with amazing decorations.  This is personally one of my FAVORITE collections so these printable accessories paired with some executed ideas from the pinning party should make for one F-I-N-E looking event!

Here is how you join the party (enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post)…

Head on over to Pinterest and follow our Chillin’ and Grillin’ Pinterest board!  Then tonight, join us at 9pm EST/6pm PST and watch our hostesses pin their favorite summer entertaining ideas. We hope you will re-pin your favorite ideas, add comments, and look for special prize pins that will pop up through out the hour!

To enter for a chance to win our Nautical 4th of July Printable package enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Menu:
Broiled Flat Iron Philly Steak Wrap
Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Ingredients:
Flat Iron Steak (I use 7 – 9 lbs)
Small Red Potatoes (1 bag)
Baby Portabella Mushrooms
Fresh Rosemary
Olive Oil
Butter
Kalamata Olives (pitted)
Assorted Peppers (green, red, orange, etc)
Fresh Greens (lettuce or even sprouts)
Tortilla Wraps
Cheddar Cheese (sandwich slices or hand sliced)
Mayonnaise
Fresh garlic cloves
Dried Oregano
Garlic Salt
Salt/Pepper

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Directions:  (preheat oven to 450)

{Potatoes – step 1}
1. Cut up red potatoes (I use the entire bag) and place on a large heavy duty sheet of aluminum foil
2. Using kitchen scissors, cut up fresh rosemary and sprinkle all over potatoes – I use at least 2-3 branches of rosemary
3. Lightly pour olive oil on the potatoes (a few swirls are good)
4. Add salt & pepper (a few shakes – you can always add more later)

5. Create a boat out of the aluminum foil.
6. Add water to the potatoes so the bottom is covered (with water) – you don’t need too much
7. Seal shut and place in oven for approximately 1 hour

{Steak}
1. While potatoes are cooking, you will need to season the steak
2. Lightly coat steak with olive oil (front/back)
3. Crush several fresh garlic cloves and spread all over front and back of steak (I use 3-4 garlic cloves depending on size)
4. Sprinkle garlic salt, dried oregano, salt & pepper so steak is covered in seasoning (front/back)
5. You will put steak in the oven on broil, once potatoes have cooked for an hour. (Steak usually needs 3-5 min per side… for medium rare)

{Mushrooms}
1. Hand wash mushrooms with wet paper towel (mushrooms absorb water easily so do not rinse them under water)
2. Chop mushrooms
3. On medium-high, cook mushrooms in pan… you do not need to add anything to pan.  Mushrooms will start to sweat, creating liquid in the pan.  Stir frequently until mushrooms have shrunk to about half the original size.
4. Once mushrooms have cooked down, add salt, pepper & garlic salt to taste.  Add a little bit of butter and olive oil to finish.
5. Keep mushrooms on low until ready to serve.

{Kalamata Olive Tapenade} – can be made ahead of time, or you can make while potatoes are cooking
1. Using a food processor, put in 3- 4 tablespoons of pitted olives
2. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon of mayo
3. Add a handful of fresh rosemary
4. Add a little bit of salt/pepper
5. Puree ingredients…. add another tablespoon of mayo if you want it creamier… this is all to taste.  You can’t mess it up!!!

{Veggie prep} -  - can be made ahead of time, or you can make while potatoes are cooking
1. Slice peppers with a julienne style cut and place in small serving bowl
2. Cut greens (can be any type of lettuce or sprouts) and place in separate small serving bowl

{Potatoes, step 2}
1.  Once potatatoes have cooked for an hour or are soft, remove from oven.
2. Set oven to broil and move rack to very top of oven
3. Open foil, and place potatoes back in the oven to broil for a crispy grilled finish – 5 to 10 min… depending on how many potatoes. (I toss them and check them frequently during this process.
4. Broil Steak at same time (also checking frequently)

{Finishing steps}
1. Remove potatoes, and steak from oven
2. Put warm mushrooms into third small serving bowl
3. Slice steak into thin strips
3. Create wraps layering: mayo, greens, peppers, mushrooms, cheese, steak (would also be good with horseradish)
4. Slice in half
5. Add potatoes to plate and top with a scoop of Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Stay tuned for more Father’s Day ideas this June and more on our Herb Series this summer!

We are thrilled to announce that we will be part of a fabulous Pinterest party tomorrow (Wednesday, May 22nd) night with a very special guest pinner-Tori Spelling, DIYer/actress/momista. I have been a fan of her show, books and style for years. She is going to join the group of creative bloggers/stylists and party planners as we offer summer entertaining ideas.

The participating hostesses are (totally amazing!):

Here is how you join the party…

Head on over to Pinterest and follow our Chillin’ and Grillin’ Pinterest Board

• Join us Wednesday, May 22 at 9pm EST/6pm PST and watch our hostesses pin their favorite summer entertaining ideas. We hope you will re-pin your favorite ideas, add comments, and look for special prize pins!
• Prizes will be pinned during the hour. Click on the prize pins and you will be taken to the site to enter a Rafflecopter drawing.

Speaking of prizes, we will giveaway a full collection of our Nautical 4th of July printables to a follower of the Chillin’ and Grillin’ Pinterest Board! Remember this fun twist on a our favorite patriotic holiday?

The giveaway will go live tomorrow, Wednesday, May 22nd. Be sure to enter to win and follow our Pinterest party tomorrow night for all of the best BBQ party ideas!

See you all at the party!

I seem to be a cookie nut lately, right!? Coming up with recipes and testing things out… (taste testing, too!) Our Pink Lemonade Cookie recipe was SO popular, that I’ve decided to share some other new recent cookie recipes that I have come up with.  Plus, our Milk & Cookies party printables are such a hit for birthday party themes, that we thought that giving you some recipes would be a great idea to pair with your milk and cookies parties and printables!

Well, I recently dabbled in a gluten free diet (and noticed big results in terms of my mental clarity, digestive health and bonus – a flatter tummy! If you follow me on instagram, you’ve probably seen some of my yummy Gfree meals!)  I don’t really have gluten-allergies or issues but so many people I know are G-Free, and I’m all about trying to better my health.  I wanted to see how hard it was and also see if I feel better… and I do.  However, I DO have gluten weekly,… I’ve just cut back quite a bit and think about what I’m putting in my mouth more often.

I guess sugar and sweets aren’t the most healthy, though? But throw that fact out for a minute.  A girl needs chocolate and sweets from time to time, so here is a fabulous recipe for a Mexican Chocolate Cookie that is not only gluten free but includes some fabulous antioxidants (Saigon cinnamon and dark chocolate!)  Oh, and did I mention that it has NO butter (so less saturated fats!)

Adria doesn’t even like sweets and she went gaga over these cookies when I brought them over.  I made a batch of Gluten Free Mexican Chocolate cookies (recipe in this post) as well as a version that is Gluten-Full!  Surprisingly, the gluten free version was more popular! YAY!  Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the Gluten-full version

While I was baking all of these cookies, my son begged for milk while he tried the cookies.  It was then that I realized that our printable Vintage Milk & Cookies collections needed a little refresher….. drink wraps that would be perfect for milk bottles!  So, we added these to the Vintage Milk and Cookies collections and they turned out so cute, right!?  Find our Vintage Milk and Cookies collections here in the shop. (for birthdays or baby showers – in pink / blue or red versions!)

Check out the recipe for the Mexican Chocolate Gluten Free Cookies below.  Click on it to download and print the recipe!  Give it to your neighbors and they will love you forever!  This recipe was inspired by this recipe that I adapted to my liking.

Check out our Vintage Milk and Cookies party posts for fabulous party ideas here.

Find the printable Milk and Cookies party collections in our shop here.

I have loved GreatStitch from the moment we connected!  From their cute apparel which is personalized with embroidery right on up to their amazing and talented owner, Brenda (who is also cute)!  If your child is dreaming it, she can make it!!  Adding to their already amazing line of personalized apparel is  GreatStitch Girls - adorable and swoon worthy.  Included in this line is  complete outfits—shirts, skirts, pants, tutus, hair bows and even matching doll shirts—sure to please any little girl.  Get out the ear plugs as you tell your daughter about this giveaway because I’m sure the Beiber Fever scream will falter in comparison….a complete girl’s outfit including shirt, skirt, tutu, hair bow and matching doll outfit (for 18” AG-size doll).  Adorbes!
Introducing GreatStitch Girls…From the beginning, GreatStitch has been a customer-driven business. Our very first birthday shirt was made in response to a request. Many of our best-selling designs were added to our line when someone asked, “Can you make a shirt with…?”  We have been offering girl’s birthday shirts right along with our very popular boy’s birthday line (we recently shipped out order number 3,000!) but what we are finding is that many moms are looking for more than just a shirt for their little girl’s special day.  So, in response GreatStitch Girls was born.

Any piece can be purchased separately, or you can get the entire coordinated outfit. As with all of our work, customers are our main focus. We gladly take custom requests to match party themes, color designs and whatever else you need. We also offer matching parent and sibling shirts for any of our party ideas.

To celebrate the launch of GreatStitch Girls we are giving away a complete girl’s outfit including shirt, skirt, tutu, hair bow and matching doll outfit (for 18” AG-size doll).  This is a $74.90 value so be sure to enter today for your chance to win and take a moment to visit our new website with new things being posted daily!

Also, through next Friday you can receive FREE SHIPPING on all GreatStitch Etsy orders by entering coupon code GIRLS.

Enter here for this GREAT giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Matthew looked so happy. Good job Mom!

Vendor Credits & Resources:
Party Planning and Styling: Giovanna Martel (Mom)
Party Printables and Graphics: Anders Ruff Custom Designs

Visit our shop for a variety of SuperHero party ideas!

Follow us on Pinterest for tons of party inspiration.

Download free printable here:  andersruff-graduationmoneycard

Supplies needed:
Free printable graduation card (printed on 8.5 x 11″ photo paper, card stock or paper of your choice)
Scissors/paper trimmer
Paper glue
Twine *optional

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Directions:
1. Trim card along edges
2. Fold card in half, leaving pocket alone

3. Fold up pocket flap
4. Glue along right and left edges to form pocket, leaving top open to hold money

5. Insert money (check or cash)… and leave a little note on the left-hand side!
6. *Optional – tie closed with a piece of twine
7. Finished card size is 4″x6″ and envelopes can be found at office supply stores if needed.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2013!!!!

Don’t forget to check out some of our other free printables here!

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Love this design?  Leave us a comment and share with others!

Thank you Jen for your lovely pictures!

Vendor Credits & Resources:
Party Planning & Styling: Jen Ward, Catch My Party
Party Printables: Anders Ruff Custom Designs

Visit our shop for more pool party ideas!

Our Pinterest boards are full of amazing party and lifestyle inspiration!

Spring is officially here and I am in full swing gardening mode!  I simply love being outside on spring days in the Carolinas and there is nothing more refreshing than Lemons and Limes.  I love to drink lemon infused water on these gorgeous 70 degree days.  The most perfect companion to a glass of chilled lemon water is a scrumptious Key Lime Cookie!  I adapted my popular Pink Lemonade Cookies recipe that I created to make a Key Lime Cookie concoction. I guess maybe the Pink Lemonade party we featured a couple weeks ago inspired me to go citrus!

(These would be perfect at a Citrus Party or a Lemonade Party, right!? Or Maybe to sell at a Lemonade Stand?  I love watching my kids be little entrepreneurs!)

These cookies have the BEST texture with the perfect flavor combination – Soft, creamy, rich, tart and sweet and then finished off with a little crunch from the graham cracker crumb topping.

One of the best parts of key lime pie is the graham cracker crust, so I had to incorporate graham crackers somehow.  I couldn’t’ figure out how to add them into the dough without ruining it so I tried this.  I got the inspiration from those black and white cookies you see at Starbucks.  You may have seen some of my trials on Instagram? (Are you following me? I’d love to follow you!  Leave me your name in the comments)

Download the Printable Recipe Card below!  Be sure to email us pics of your cookies! I’d love to see if you think of other ways to incorporate the graham crackers!

Be sure to check out our other recipes and cookie recipes here.

Anders Ruff Key Lime Cookie Recipe