Happy Mother’s Day!

We are super excited to share what we have been doing in our new Studio space! Last month after finally moving into our new space in Lacuna Artist Lofts, I decided I wanted to do something fun for Spring (wherever it was) and do a small Mother’s Day Photo Shoot!

Mother’s Day should be fun, colorful and delicious. Adorning the table with oversized blooms and bright color linens can make any spread festive. Whether you are decorating for your Mother or a bunch of Mothers, these ideas are sure to be fun additions.

The menu was simple…I had been loving the High Tea designs I had been seeing but also know my Mom likes breakfast items the most. We had a lovely spread: Cucumber Cigars, Salmon on black bread, North Shore Potatoes, mini quiches…

and sweets; lots of sweets! Cherry Garcia Cupcake, Baked Brie en Cout and Hand-Painted Chocolates were all a big hit!

Details are very important to me. I loved being able to use Hall’s Rental Jars for the Summer Salad. I think a unique presentation can add flare to any food spread.

Thank You to my AWESOME vendors!  (Add links)
Yum Cakes– I have had the pleasure of working with Erika of YumCakes a few times and always hear amazing things! YumCakes is a high end Cupcake Boutique (made to order only). Crème Puff, Crème Brulee (with a crack the top) and Cherry Garcia are just a few of the custom cupcakes she has done in the past!

An Apple a Day– a delicious caterer I met while doing a wedding last summer in Glencoe. They have the best selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees in their restaurant and offer an even better selection for catering. I only wish I could use them more.

Life’s Sweeter Side– I met Abby while at WedBash 2015 and knew I wanted to use them as soon as possible. I am extremely happy I did…I am ordered more chocolates and desserts for another event coming soon and as a gift! Addicting and so delicately constructed.

Cake Chicago- Always provides the best cakes! This time, I wanted to try something different and use Mary’s amazing cake in a jar (Jar’d)

Jai Girard – the photographer who did my wedding in December. I love her work and wanted to see how she would capture Lacuna.

BBJ Linen– I always look to Rebecca at BBJ. She always points me to the newest in fabrics and chargers! I can always count her for the best.
Halls Rentals– I love their selection and they are so close by. I love doing walkthroughs and seeing the new items being added to their inventory!

Wedding Paper Divas– I always use them when I want something quick. They produce great Stationery and I have never been disappointed.

Whatever you’ve decided to do, it will be lovely! Remember, details matter and Happy Mother’s Day!

P3!

Celebration of the Ages

On October 13th of this year, my Mother and I had our Celebration of the Ages Birthday Extravaganza at  City Point Loft, I promised to show images of the space after MDM Special Event Lighting, Halls Rental and Town & Country Gardens helped me transform it.

1st floor cocktail and passed appetizers (image bottom right ) 2nd floor dining area (image top right) centerpiece and wall mural (image left)

Upon entering the first floor of City Point, guests were washed in red and greeted by a server offering appetizers from C’est Ci Bon Catering in Hyde Park or a drink from the bar. The appetizers included: mini Crab Cakes in a Creole Dipping Sauce, Cajun Fried Chicken Strips, Collard Green Egg Rolls with a Soy Mustard Mayo, Jerk Chicken with a Zesty Mango Dipping Sauce and Chicken Satay on a Skewer with a Peanut Dipping Sauce.

 

Ben, from Studio One Photography was excellent and made sure to get everyone at one point in the night…he even posed for a few pictures himself! Definitely a photographer I will use and recommend again.

 

champagne glasses with guests’ name and table number. flags purchased from etsy vendor

 

At 8pm, everyone was ushered upstairs for dinner service and more open bar.  The head tables were made from some of our rental inventory at P3 as well as the high boy arrangements. The candelabras and floral design came from Town & Country Gardens. A mix of Anemones, Roses and seasonal floral in reds and white accented the already red washed room.

 

Dinner was started with a seasonal salad and pine nuts wrapped in a thin cucumber slice. The second course, Gumbo, was served in a Ruby Red Martini Glass and the final course, was either a Southern Comfort Chicken with apple duck sauce sausage stuffing in a thyme jus or Cornbread Crusted Catfish with Jalapeno Peppers and Herbs. I have had both the chicken and fish, but that night I chose the fish and LOVED it!

Sorry, we only have images of the salad! The photographer said the food left the plates too quickly to capture…not a bad problem to have 🙂

You may of wondered why there was no dessert. I am not a cake person but do have a sweet tooth. YUMCAKES will always be my go to for anything Cupcakes! We had a mix of my favorites and my Mom’s. Some of the choices people had to choose from were: Creme Brulee Cupcakes (you actually got to crack the top!) Cherry Garcia (like the Ben n Jerry’s Ice Cream), Pineapple, Strawberry Rhubarb, Bellini and a Dark Chocolate Cupcake with a Pear and Red Wine Reduction Chocolate Icing.

The night ended with more pictures, more drinks and several trips back to the cupcake table.

Here are some more images from the night.

Thank you for reading!

Lindsay Gloria Parrott

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YUMCAKES!!!! Tasty treats for your wedding guests…

I had the luck of finding Yumcakes by typing in “creative and delicious cupcakes chicago”. I was tired of the same cupcakes from different bakeries and wanted something no one has had.

After skimming the website I was interested enough to call Erika, the owner of Yumcakes. After speaking with her and learning more about the process that goes into the creation of these unique cupcakes, I made an appointment to meet Erika and taste these mini masterpieces.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Erika had brought a lot more cupcakes than necessary for a one person tasting. There were flavors upon flavors upon flavors to choose from, all with different icings-some purees and others with infusions of jasmine or lemon!

My absolute favorites were the Strawberry Rhubarb, Strawberries n Champagne, Peach Cobbler, Sundae Cake and Breakfast!

The cupcake in the bottom right block is the breakfast cake and it is amazing! The cake is filled with an almost pancake like batter and bits of bacon mixed in and the icing is syrupy, buttery and creamy with a slice of bacon and a waffle crisp on top. I LOVE IT! I think it would be a great for a bridal shower, the brunch after the wedding or as special gifts to your bridal party before your wedding.
I especially enjoyed some of the beautiful arrangements Erika constructed for some of the various weddings she has supplied cupcakes for. A lot of brides are opting not to do an entire cake and instead do their favorite flavors in cupcake form or as gifts to their guests as they leave. To not over do an already over done idea, switching up the cupcake vendor that is used is your best option. Every baker has a different design style and puts a twist on an already known classics.

Something to note, Erika takes orders for special requests all the time. In fact, her favorite type of clients are the ones who challenge her with new desserts to model cupcakes after. I asked her to start helping me brainstorm a signature cupcake for P3 and the one she made for me was beyond thrilling! A white cake filled with a white chocolate truffle topped with champagne flavored icing and a Jasmine flower. It was refreshing and sweet at the same time.

If you are looking a for a unique way to incorporate your favorite desserts into your wedding in a fun way, this is absolutely the way to do it!

Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

-The P3 Team

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Crumbs Bake Shop!!!!

A few days ago I was pleasantly surprised when one of my friends brought over a HUGE cupcake like dessert for us. I immediately asked her where she found this amazing treat and was told Crumbs Bake Shop on west Madison. (303 W. Madison) The cupcake, I don’t know if I can even call it that, was amazing! It was so filling and beautifully crafted, it resembled a mini cake. I would say it had the size of a muffin but the icing of a cake….AMAZING!

Half n Half Cupcake

This particular cupcake was their Half n Half. White butter cream, topped with half vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with chocolate chip crumbs and half chocolate fudge mixed with brownie pieces.



There is a lot of baked goods competition in Chicago and people need to know what sets this bakery apart from Sprinkles, Bliss or Phoebe’s cupcakes. I can honestly say, I have not had a cupcake like this. It tastes great on its on (and I know this, because I have left overs from the one I bought Tuesday) but it also is fabulous with ice cream- like a birthday cake. I have had tried Sprinkles and all the little cupcake boutiques in Chicago and really have found a hidden gem with Crumbs. 

They offer several options: mix and match, a six pack, catering and more… Below are some of my favorite cupcakes and a few pictures of their “Colossal Cakes.”

Key Lime

Try their cupcake of the month: Key Lime. Its a perfect vanilla cake filled vanilla butter cream frosted with a tart key lime cream cheese, decorated with white sprinkles around the edge! One of my personal favorites!

Red Velvet

They have the now common Red Velvet cupcake, which even tastes brand new and overwhelming in size (but in a good way!). That is the one that is in my fridge at the moment 😉


They offer a quick and easy solution to online ordering and I have taken a liking to it. Use their iPhone app to make small or large orders!

Their colossal cupcake looks like something a 1 year old would LOVE for that special birthday or even a unique sweetheart table centerpiece.

Chocolate Sundae Colossal

Squiggle

And for what I am going back for today…the Squiggle! Its not your average chocolate cake…I have passed it twice and now know it needs be tried and its fine because its research…right?

While I can’t condone eating them as much as I have since Monday, I can say the next time you are craving a sweet sin…Crumbs Bake Shop NEEDS to be at the top of your list!

If any of you try their cupcakes and love them as much as we do, please let us know and spread the word!

Thanks again, 

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-The P3 Team