E-I-E-I-O...

We apologize for the long hiatus away, but we sure have been busy.  This is a bit overdue, but I wanted to share my little guy's 1st birthday extravaganza.  The birthday party was a success!  It was hot outside, but thankfully our back yard-barn yard was shaded by trees and tents.  We had such a wonderful turnout of family and friends.  Most importantly Chase seemed to have a heck of a good time.  The day started out amazing the sun was shining and even though there was a chance of rain it stayed away for the entire day of festivities.  Chase woke up in a great mood and Evan was excited for his little brother’s party to begin.  

We had an easy and delicious menu planned that was fit for this one year olds birthday bonanza.  It consisted of roasted turkey and gravy sandwiches, German potato salad, yummy fresh guacamole and salsa, a fresh summer veggie pasta salad, and array of other delicious sides.

 

I wanted Chase to wear a little bit less of a traditional farmers overall outfit.  We opted for some sweet Chasey sized suspenders, a white tee, shorts and a mini handkerchief.   

Don’t be fooled by those crocodile tears, he just wanted more food to eat...

We used Evan's boots straight from Nashville, TN.  He loves telling people that!

Keeping with tradition, we wanted a mini-smash cake for the birthday boy.  Ashley baked a piggy version for my little oinker.  Man did he love it!!  The mini cakes smash session is one we offer with our Snap Pea photography package.  Around your Sweet Pea’s 1st birthday we set up a photoshoot and let them have at the homemade one of a kind frosted goodness.  It’s such a unique and fun way to document their big day.  

For the rest of the guests she also made cupcakes that donned adorable Sheep, Piglet, and Chick faces.  Pair it with a toy tractor and you’ve got a fun and yummy Cupcake pasture.  

Sugars

-Seeing my little farmer boy have a great time surrounded by people who love him.

-The weather again! How lucky to have an entire day that was gorgeous and rain drop free.

Snaps

-Being the host I didn’t get to snap as many pictures as I’d hoped, but I handed that job over occasionally to make sure we still documented the day.  

Tutus for Babbaloos! -Softball

Getting involved in the community and with charities is something we continuously want to incorporate into our business.  So, when we were asked to do a Calendar photo shoot benefiting Breast Cancer, we literally jumped for joy at the chance.  Our job was to take photographs featuring the “Manly Men” of Milwaukee in their everyday professional settings while sporting a very chic and fashionable pink tutu.  Hello...who wouldn't say yes!

The project coordinator, Mandy from Reinhart Attorneys at Law , was wonderful to work with.  She is in charge of selecting the men around Milwaukee who will be featured in the Calendar.  (So many men, so little time :)  As much fun as it is to see big strong men in girlie tutus, we did not forget the main goal of raising money and awareness for The American Cancer Society.  

This particular shoot featured the local Kilpatrick Idiot Crew Softball team.  The guys were eager to wear the pink tutus and really support the cause.  Not only did we get the shot for the calendar, but we also got a few pictures of the guys goofing off and being themselves.  We had a lot of fun with this photo shoot!  
Here is a sneak peak:

Here is the picture that will be in the Calendar

The guys loved posing, no matter what they might tell you!

Their team name is the Kilpatrick Idiot Crew.  Wonder why?........:)

The Calendar is called "Tutus for the Babbaloos" and will be coming out this October.  Keep checking Snapped for the exact release date and a list of locations to purchase the calendar to support a worthwhile cause!  Also, watch for another post on our next Tutu shoot coming in July.

One quick Sugar Snap update:
We are constantly evolving and testing out new ideas for our business.  If you noticed our pictures look a little different this post, it is because we added our new watermark and tightened up the framing around the photos.  Thank you for supporting our business by reading our blog!  

Special Thanks to:
Kilpatrick Engine and Transmission for allowing us to photograph a fun group of guys & Reinhart Law for putting this all together!


Sugars (things we liked)
-Very happy with the turn out and support from the team for the Calendar.  They were so awesome about donating their time and modeling skills!

-The fact that we get to be involved in something soooo cool!  This cause hits very close to home and we love helping in our own little way to make a difference.

Snaps (things we learned) 
-We had a last minute location change because the field we originally planned on using was locked!  (Actually, this could be a Sugar because the other field we used ended up being better for the look we wanted)

-The weather was very hot that day, so Melissa had to keep it short and sweet.  She made it work and still had enough time to get the right shot for the Calendar.

See you next post
Melissa & Ashley 

Part 2: Steak and Potatoes, Northwoods Style

In Part 1 of our Northwoods post, we mentioned being in charge of Saturday meals. 
We knew we had a grill and 8 hungry mouths to feed, so we had to come up with something hearty and delicious.  Our idea for our rustic dinner was to do a twist on Steak and Potatoes. 

At home we make a meal called "Saucy Steak" (Evan named it) which is awesome and flavorful, but we had to tailor it for a crowd and adjust it to incorporate a "Northwoods" feel.  Ashley and I collaborated (like we always do) on the dish we now call "Grilled Saucy Steak".  Yes we know, very creative...  recipe follows

Searing the meat gave it nice color and locked in the flavor.

Simple Rustic tablescape

Mother Nature didn't allow us to eat outside, so we enjoyed indoors.  

Check out the view!

-See you next post

Melissa & Ashley

Part 1: Up North to Hazelhurst we go...

Phewww.  It has been a crazy couple of weeks, but fear not, we just took a slight hiatus from posting.  So without further ado, enjoy our latest post about our trip to the Northwoods:

Picture the open road, endless trees, glassy lakes and wildlife all around you.  That is what Melissa and I saw on Memorial Day weekend while spending four peaceful days in Wisconsin's Northwoods. 

Our cars were jam packed with kids, dog, fishing poles, Melissa’s camera (of course), food and even some non-essentials (Oreo's :).  Since we can remember, Melissa and I have been “Up North” kids, enjoying all that nature has to offer and loving every minute of it.  We love the little towns full of character, trinkets, delicious cheese (why is it that you have to go north to get awesome cheese??) and woodsy Cottages.  It is our idea of a weekend getaway!  That is unless we get whisked away to a tropical paradise....(Dave and Justin take note :)

For the first part of our vacation, Mother Nature decided to rain on our parade, but we came prepared.  The girls played board games and snacked on the above mentioned oreo's, while the boys braved the drizzle to fish.  On Friday, we decided to weather the storm to visit the Minocqua Zoo with the kids.  Too our surprise, many of the animals were roaming free, which made it pretty exciting!

Saturday was our day to cook, so Melissa and I wanted to do a hearty meal that traveled well and would fill hungry bellies.  We created a nontraditional twist on grilled steak and potatoes.  Stay tuned for the recipe and pictures on part 2 of our Northwoods post.

    

Road trippin' with kids and dog means a lot of 
stopping and stretching!

Gotta love the Beach Front! The kids couldn't get enough :)

Fun at the Minocqua Zoo!

Don't you love that last picture of the hog thing!  We were sad when our trip came to an end, but we enjoyed every Northwoods minute!  Except for Justin's quick trip to the ER.  Worry not, he came back 2 hours later, finger glued and ready to party! 

Special thanks to Ann and Tommy for hosting and giving us a wonderful weekend!

Sugars (things we loved)

-Planning ahead for the drive.  (Dixie had lots of bones and Evan had a mini theater system lavishly set for the 5 hour drive)

-Relaxing with no cell phone reception!

Snaps (things we learned)

-Make sure husbands are careful with knives, so they don't end 
up in the ER.

-Rain, Rain, go away.  Well it did for our last day anyway!

See you next post!
 Ashley & Melissa 

Oink, Moo, Cluck Cluck

Here he is....

 ....my little man Chase.  Words cannot express my love for this little goofball.  He recently started walking and is currently in the wobble, take a little shuffle, stop and wobble some more... stage, which I have to say is a favorite of mine.  Chase enjoys snacks in all shapes and flavors and nibbles on them continuously throughout the day.  What I mean is, if he doesn’t have a graham cracker or goldfish in his possession at any point in time, he will scream until he has said snack in hand.  Did I mention I adore him?

As hard as it is for me to admit it, this little cutie is growing up and is turning ONE in June! (Yes I shed a tear!  Ok, a few).   Justin and I thought long and hard about what theme we wanted for our peanut's party and landed on “A Day on the Farm”.  OOOh, I can see the possibilities now.   

Here are a few things we definitely want to include in the party planning.  A mini smash cake for Chase to devour on his own (somehow I don’t think he will complain :), lots of pictures (naturally), plenty of Farm friendly decorations and yummy food that ties in with the theme.   I can't wait to start planning with Ash.

I will keep you posted on all of our details, but then again, I may keep some surprises to myself to reveal on Party day. 

One more thing, he enjoys making this face to let everyone know how cute he is...:)

Ya'll check back now, ya hear!  (Dorky? Yes!  But we promise, it's only for this post :)

Melissa & Ashley

Step Right Up...

Who doesn't love a good Circus?  The games, the animals, the sweet treats, silly photo booths...  Emy (our party girl :) turned 5 last week and she wanted a Circus party to celebrate with all of her friends.  Popcorn bags filled with all the candy a kid could stand, silly pictures, games and music were just a  few of the things at this little lady's party.  The kids had a great time and Emy absolutely adored her Circus themed bash.  We couldn't get an elephant, but we did have a whole lot of monkeys jumping around!

Melissa and I constructed a fun chalkboard yard sign that we can use at future Sugar Snap events.  I also designed and printed the one of a kind labels and invites right at our neighborhood Kinko's.

Games included Ring Toss, "The Flying Canon" and a Ring Master Relay Race.  We even had a face painting booth.  At each game station, the kiddos either won tickets or cashed them in for fun little trinkets.  They loved the feeling of being at a real Circus Carnival!

The Bubble Machine provided a great bubbly back drop.


The photo booth was a big hit!  The kids could dress up and be as silly as they wanted :p

We found many of the props right in Emy's toy bin at home.  The props we couldn't find came from the Dollar Store and Party City. 

      Even the adults got their silly on :)


After all the planning and preparing that went into Emy's Circus, it turned out to be a huge success!

Sugars (things we loved)
-We loved how playful, bright and fun the day turned out for Emy and her little buddies.
-Most of the props and things we created can be used at other events.  BONUS!!
-Last minute Sunshine kept the weather from raining on our parade (or Circus)

Snaps (things we learned)
-Anyone know of a good place that rents Elephants for next time? ;)
-Weather was a big factor.  We planned for both indoor and outdoor setup just in case the rain wouldn't hold out.


*A special thanks to Door County Confectionery for supplying the yummy treats!


What theme's are you doing for your next kiddo event?

See you next post!

Ashley & Melissa

A pair of sweet trios...

For about 5 years, I have been working for The Good Life Catering, a wonderful catering company based out of Mequon, WI.  Just recently, The Good Life teamed up with The Great Lakes Distillery (GLD) in Milwaukee to host a gourmet dessert and cocktail pairing.  The event featured delicious desserts made by Chef Karen Wilets and handmade cocktails created by the wonderful staff at GLD.

Fortunately for us, the distillery had just opened their gorgeous new tasting room to host our pairing.  To start the planning process, we did the first thing that seemed natural.  Karen and I were treated to a tour of their facility and a tasting flight of all of their amazing GLD spirits.  While we sampled, Karen came up with an amazing menu of sweet treats.

Guests could choose from two menus featuring a trio of paired desserts and cocktails

Melissa's beautiful shot of GLD Kinnickinnick Whiskey (which we had the pleasure of tasting)

Together, with the help of the distillery, it turned out to be a successful evening.  The guests raved about the trios and loved the Milwaukee atmosphere of the tasting room. 

Sugars (things we loved)
-Working with the Great Lakes staff to plan this event
-The beautiful setting for taking some great pictures
-Finding out the awesome bartender and local artist pictured above is the designer for a few of the labels on their bottles

Snaps (things we learned)
-It was challenging to photograph in such low light since the event was in the evening
-We will have to wait 5 years for GLD to stock their long anticipated Aged Bourbon Whiskey.  Hopefully we can get on the waiting list :)

A special thank you to The Good Life Catering and The Great Lakes Distillery!

See you next post

Ashley & Melissa