A Thanksgiving Day Birthday – Jeanapalooza #95!

We have a big celebration happening in our family on Thanksgiving Day! The matriarch of our family, my mother-in-love, turns 95! I’ve written about her before as 5 years ago we hosted her 90th “Jeanapalooza”. She’s pretty incredible and her birthday is a big deal for our family as all her children, grand children and great-grand children will be here for her.

What makes the day even more fun is that her birthday is actually on Thanksgiving this year so we’re going to make certain she knows how thankful we are for her! A traditional dinner is planned with pumpkin pie and multiple chocolate cakes for our brood of 27. 

I wanted to combine both the holiday and her birthday in themed decorations and for the invitation so I envisioned pumpkins topped with sprinkles that would be particularly festive and colorful.

I loved the little white ghost pumpkins that I found this year with their long stems and thought they would be cute as both a decoration and invitation.

Thanksgiving Birthday Pumpkin with Sprinkles

I found the sprinkles in Sweetapolita’s Etsy shop where I looked for something bright and happy that said “birthday” to me and “happy birthday to you”.

I brushed on melted white candy coating to adhere the sprinkles. Really, aren’t they the happiest of sprinkles?

Thanksgiving Birthday Pumpkin with Sprinkles

I wrapped the stem with ribbon and tied on a tag I found at Paper Source along with raised, gold, stick-on letters from a cookie project last year so I used them. They worked out perfectly to spell out “Birthday Party”. The details of the party I wrote on the back of the tag.

Thanksgiving Birthday Pumpkin with Sprinkles

Orange Sugar Pie pumpkins are pretty for decorations too. I’ll place these on our appetizer, dinner and dessert tables.

Thanksgiving Birthday Pumpkin with Sprinkles

Thanksgiving Birthday Pumpkin with Sprinkles

I hope you’re planning on having a special holiday too!

October

succulent pumpkin arrangement

Hello! You might or might not have noticed but I’ve been MIA from blogging for quite awhile. There’s been a lot of reasons – all varied from family life, a desired break and a strong desire to lead a healthier, less-stress lifestyle. The latter means there’s been a detour from sweets and confections from my favored drug of choice – sugar. I know. A tad ironic and possibly problematic for a blog with “sweets” prominently featured in its title. I’ve… [Read More]

Colonial Williamsburg Sweet Potato Muffins

Colonial Williamsburg Sweet Potato Muffins

This recipe for sweet potato muffins for Thanksgiving reminds me of my friend, Suzi.  Not that she would bake a sweet potato for the pulpy goodness to make the muffins but because she would open a can of sweet potatoes to make them.  She once said to me she had to go to the store to buy all her canned goods for Thanksgiving.  Apparently, according to Suzi, I looked at her in apparent disbelief and horror and exclaimed, “What on… [Read More]

Pretty Painted Pie Crusts

With pie making taking center stage on Wednesday along with all my other prep work for Thursday’s dinner, I’ve planned ahead and taken some steps to make the day less hectic and more organized with “pretty” still in mind. Truth be told, I cannot make a pie without a decorative crust finish.  When I won the blue ribbon for my Dutch apple pie at the Orange County Fair, one of the judge’s comments was how pretty the single painted apple… [Read More]