The Buzz of a new arrival

New additions to the family always set the family abuzz with excitement. Why not celebrate the arrival of your newest one with a buzz-worthy bee themed event?
I am absolutely in love with bees and everything yellow this season, so I couldn't think of a more exciting theme for a dear client's baby shower. I can just imagine the cute chocolate devil's food cake beehive atop an adorable hive like cupcake tower! Napoleon bee de lys table cloths and fantyastic bee soap favors and thank yous are sure to send the guest buzzing about your big day for weeks to come.

Check out these yummy bee recipes:
Williams-Sonoma Beehive cake

Recipe for adorable Bee Cupcakes

Invites From Louella Press Honeycomb edition would set the tone for a fantastic day- not just for weddings anymore RSVP cards can take the hassle out of planning your big celebration.

>>> SOURCING:
Handcrafted Pewter Bee Hive Bank: Engrave able Silver Impressions $60.50, Wallace silver smiths: Napoleon Bee 45 pc. Flatware set- Horchow $174.90, Honey House Bee Bar Gift St Coldwater Creek $10.99, Slane and Slane Pave Bee Ring, Nieman Marcus $2050.00; Sur Le Table Bee Glassware Dessert Dishes Set of 6 47.50.

Capturing Memories

Isn't it amazing how scent can trancend time and space and take you back to the beginning of a memory? Remeber the smell of cookies baking in grandma's kitchen or the musky cologne of your first love? Fragrance is the score, the melodic undertone to our memory and I have found a fantastic candle line that combines the powerful relationship of scent and memory with an elegant 100% natural, long burning, soy based candle. With each of it's 12 luxurious scents Gem Bebe's candles will bring you over 60 hours of memories from the cotton scented bath time to the violet, amber, & oak moss of sweet memories. Each scent will leave you captivated- just as they have captivated some of Hollywood's most famous.

haute mom tip: Give these fantastic candles as nursery room gifts. I have used the travel tins as luxe baby shower favors.

>>>sourcing:
You can buy Gem bebe online at: Gem Bebe.com
Boutiques:
Bella Carta In Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca
Out of the Bleu in Foothill Ranch, Ca

Crustless Creativity

If your house is filled with picky eaters like mine, you'll love the crust cutter- a cute and inventive way to make a crustless sandwich while minimizing waste. Encourage healthy eating with adorable dinosaur grilled chesse or heart peanut buter and jelly sandwiches with the press of cookie-cutter like device. Each cutter has a repeat emblem in reverse, to cut two perfect and entertaining sandwich bread sized halves.

Haute mom's tip: For cute, kid-friendly appetisers & entertaining you could also take this tool beyond your average sandwich cutting borders and bring new life into cheese slices as well.... Oh, the endless possibilities!

>>>sourcing:

1. Hearthsong $6.95 each

2. Leaps and Bounds $4.95

3. Hearthsong $6.95

4. Amazon $14.95 for 4

Couture Kids Find: Musical Skirts

Check out this catchy, active, and incredibly fun, musical skirt from Hearthsong- a childrens playtoy company dedicated to preserving the fleeting essence of childhood. It's a perfect way to get kids moving, dancing, and giggling. Interactive and incredibly fun -the music starts the minute your little one begins to boogy. Go-go Gadget-like in nature, the sound eminates from a superior-sound-quality, motion-activated sound chip hidden inside the flounces of the polka-dotted, double-crinolined skirt. Simply donning one of the enchanting ballerina costumes is enough to turn children into graceful, expressive dancers, at least in their imaginations- accompanied by a full symphony orchestra playing Tchaikovsky. The Pink Dress plays Swan Lake and goes a long way toward bringing out the inner prima ballerina. The skirt comes in pink, polka dot and red and fits most children ages 3-6.

>>>sourcing: You can order the musical costume online at Hearthsong. Prices range from $26.99 to $32.98

5 Star No Jar Baby Food

Your little bundle of joy will go gaga over this company that makes and serves organic gourmet baby food: Pomme Bebe in Newport Beach, Ca.

Pomme Bébé produces small batches of fresh organic baby food. The vibrantly colored and tasty food is simmered slowly to retain the maximum amount of wholesome nutrients that your baby needs and is tastier and far more healthful than your average grocery store find. The menu changes every season at Pomme Bébé relying on the freshness of seasonal produces.
You can buy Pomme Bébé food at their Newport Beach West Cliff Plaza store, online or by phone. The food can be opted for next day delivery at your door or if your wee one is fast asleep in her carseat, call ahead for an easy curbside pick-up.
Bébé Bar and Bébé Lounge: In their chic kid-friendly store you can sit your baby in an egg shaped high chair and try out fresh food samples at Pomme Bébé bar. I love the Bébé lounge where parents can meet in a hip and inviting atmosphere to enjoy a wholesome treat or fresh-squeezed juice.
Haute Mom's tip: A Bebe party. No need to clean your house for your next playdate. Simply host a playgroup at Pomme Bébé. Your kids will be able to sample their organic ready to serve baby food, you will receive nutritional information and the babies can play with toys in the nicely designed Baby Lounge.
Pomme Bébé 2043 Westcliff Drive, Suite 106, Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.200.7430

HOURS: Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm, Saturday 10:00am-2:00pm
>>> Sourcing:

Buy online: Pomme Bébé online store – price: $3.25 - $4.50 per 4 oz container

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to all of our Haute Moms!

Today we take the time to thank you for all your shuttling, loving, scheduling, caring and cleaning that you do for us! I hope you have a lovely breakfast in bed or- as I did, take the fam' for coffee, breakfast and a leisurely stroll around the lake. Isn't it convenient to have a Starbucks and your favorite bakery right next door to each other? The kids munched their way through an organic milk and a muffin while I sipped my venti soy skinny cinnamon dulce leche and nibbled an egg, feta & spinach wrap. Then, hand and hand with handsome-hubby-dearest, we walked around the lake. As a special bonus treat, my handsome co-parent was on keeping-kids-out-of-the-lake-patrol. He did a brilliant job. Not a single soggy child when the adventure was through.

My family gave me wonderful gifts- a lovely self-potted sunflower from my kindergardner, home made bracelets from my school agers and a beautifully scribbled self portrait from my preschooler- and an adorable designer apron from the hubby made by Heavenly Hostess... Side note to save hubby's hide: I requested this gift. ***Note of warning to other fabulous husbands out there: NEVER buy your haute mama an apron (no matter how sexy) unless she asks for it by name.*** But isn't it adorable?- Eva Longoria wore this exact print on Desperate housewives. Note the figure flattering a line shape, designer (and reversible fabrics), cute contrasting pockets and beautifully ruched bust. I can just imagine the entertaining I will do with this! Heavenly Hostess even makes petite versions to suit mom and daughter cooking. FABULOUS! You can stop by and check out the Heavenly Hostess boutique, located in old town Orange at the Orange Circle, yourself. Let Cynthia, the owner, know Over the Top Productions sent you! Happy Mother's day gals. Enjoy!

Celebration Inspiration: Ceremony Magazine

Ever struggled with creating the perfect "look" for your celebration? Want to stay in-the-know about trends, color schemes and upscale decor styles for events? Ceremony Magazine- an industry resource aimed for brides to be, is eye candy for anyone who loves to entertain. Inside their annual publication you'll find hundreds of images of real weddings taken by the industries best photographers. With the turn of each page you'll be dazzled by stunning decor, breath taking floral arrangements, the hottest tablescapes and reception design... perfect tinder for a brainstorming blaze! (And at $7.00 an issue- you might as well buy all 3) You can find ceremony magazine at your local bookstore- we bought ours at Borders- in the magazine rack or buy direct and pay only $4.00 shipping & handling)
haute mom's tip: Every look can be adapted to suit your own personal celebration. Look for the little touches- hanging crystals, textured cloth, vibrant color pallate, that make each celebration unique. Check out some of our tablescapes at http://www.overthetopproductions.com/ .

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The fifth of May, a regional holiday in Mexico, is a fun way to celebrate diversity and culture in an entertaining and creative way. Here at Over the Top Productions, we love any reason to celebrate and the fact that this celebration has tacos, enchiladas and chips makes it even better. (My family loves the make your own taco bar and festive paper flowers.) I have assembled some links for crafts, recipes, activities and more to make your cinco de mayo "muy bueno" (very good). So, kick off your shoes, & salsa in the living room with your wee ones!

crafts, history, easy dinner, how to salsa (dance), rockin santana play list (exercise caution- youtube may have content not suited for young listeners),

Haute Mom Says: 6 Days until Mother's day. Make sure your cards get in the mail.

Cupcakes Take the Cake

Our final installment on cupcake week:

The number one cupcake blog in the world, world, world (cheesy echo effect).

Cupcake takes the cake blogs about everything cupcake- from the best cupcakeries (if we may be so bold as to coin a new word) to recipes to cupcake socials to the latest in cupcake news. Their blog, one of PC Magazine's 100 Best Blogs of 2007 is a great place to get your fill of everything cupcake. (We love it to stay atop of the latest in cupcake trends so we can bring them to you!)

Cupcakes: How about some Sprinkles?

Cupcake week Continues:
Sprinkles Bakery

Possibly the most famous of the cupcake world, with features on Oprah (one of her favorite things), Live with Regis and Kelly and numerous magazines- Sprinkles bakery, with California locations in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, serves a delectable variety of cupcakes with panache. From classics like red velvet (my personal favorite), dark chocolate and vanilla to trendy twists such as chai latte, lemon coconut and ginger lemon there are 20 flavors to suit any pallate. Stop by their quaint store and indulge in the modern design and ease of ordering. I even love their little cupcake knives and forks!

Haute Mom's tip: For select locations, they deliver.