By Libbie Summers
Assisted by David Dempsey

An imperfect rainbow of sprinkles, mega marshmallows “clouds” and a balloon dog pot of gold! Don’t worry about everything being perfect, just have fun. The end result will ALWAYS bring a smile.

What you need: 
1 frosted layer cake (we used a 8-inch and 6-inch vanilla cake)
4 (6-inch) cardboard cake rounds
1 cup (each) sprinkles in rainbow colors (we used in this order purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and pink), the full amount of each will depend on the size of your cakes.
1 bag extra large marshmallows
1 Jimmie the Balloon Dog Cake Topper Kit

What to do: 
1. Working with the bottom or larger cake first, place one cardboard cake round on either end and set aside. Using a sheet tray, pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the purple sprinkles along the longest edge. Straighten the edge with a ruler or dough scraper and pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the blue sprinkles next to the purple. Continue with the green (1/2-3/4 cup) sprinkles.
2. Holding the cake by the ends with the card board rounds, line up the cake at the at the end of the tray and roll (using pressure) the cake across the stripes of colors.
3. Use the extra sprinkles to fill in any gaps. Remove cardboard round on the top and cover the top of the cake (purple will be the bottom) with the extra green sprinkles.
4. Repeat the striping process with the smaller cake, starting with the yellow sprinkles. Then orange and finally pink.
5. Use the extra yellow, orange and pink sprinkles to fill in any holes. Remove bottom top cardboard cake round (yellow will be at the bottom) and cover the top of the cake with pink sprinkles. Remove bottom cardboard cake round and carefully place smaller cake atop the larger cake.
6. Top cake with marshmallows.
7. Top marshmallows with a pot of gold Jimmie the Balloon Dog!

By Libbie Summers
Assisted By David Dempsey

I LOVE a gift from the kitchen. This past holiday I made 4 pounds of Everything Bagel Topping and before then it was Homemade Mega Marshmallows. This year for Valentine’s Day, I was under the gun and needed to Macgyver something fast…but still with some Libbie Fun and Beauty.

Beautiful Candy Bark
(makes 24 servings)

What you need:
2 (11 ounce) packages Ghirardelli white chocolate chips, melted (I used a double boiler)
Food coloring gel, I used purple
Sprinkles or colored sanding sugars (I used light and dark purple sanding sugars and gold dragees. NOTE: It will only take a tablespoon of each)
Edible Flowers (I used violas)

What to do:
1. Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Have all your toppings ready.
2. Divide: Divide melted chocolate into two bowls. One will have 2/3 of the melted chocolate and the other will have 1/3.
3. Color: Add just enough food coloring into the smaller amount of melted chocolate until tinted the color you would like.
4. Spread: WORKING QUICKLY, spread the white chocolate out on the prepared baking sheet. Next, drop dollops of the tinted chocolate on top of the white. Using an offset spatula, swirl the two together.
5. Decorate: AGAIN, WORKING SUPER QUICKLY. Decorate with your sprinkles, sanding sugars and edible flowers before the chocolate starts to harden.
6. Break: Allow the bark to set until completely hardened (about 20 minutes) then lift off the parchment and break apart into pieces.
NOTE: If using edible flowers, Beautiful Candy Bark is best eaten within 24 hours. If not, bark will be good for up to one week. Honestly, you don’t even have to store in an airtight container. We just leave ours on the kitchen counter for nibbling.

Need more help? Watch the video!

By Libbie Summers
Assisted by David Dempsey

I love giving gifts made in the kitchen –especially on Valentine’s Day. Making something for your loved one just seems to say “hey, I dig you” a lot more than a grocery store card. Add in the extra cool factor of it being the most yummy smelling exfoliant and moisturizer and you are bound to get some action! 😉

Sprinkle Sugar Scrub
(makes 8 ounces)

What you need: 

1/2 cup colored coarse sanding sugar (I used pink)
1/2 cup Toyland Sprinkles (you can sub coarse white sanding sugar)
1/4 cup almond oil
1/4 teaspoon bubblegum extract (you can sub with your favorite extract or essential oil)

What to do:
Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir. Scoop into an 8 ounce jar and seal. Shake before using.
(NOTE: We used pink sanding sugar and there was a visible pink hue that was there when rubbing into the skin, but left when washed away…it was really nice!)

Watch the fun video of making the Sprinkle Sugar Scrub!

By Libbie Summers
Assisted by David Dempsey

A true lesson in Holiday Cheer!
I try to give homemade gifts that are a bit unique. This year, for all the people that have cheered me on in life I’m giving a pair of cheerleading pom poms! Because I think everybody should make Varsity this holiday!

Homemade Cheerleading Pom Poms
(makes one pair)

What you need:
2-3 plastic table cloths (in whatever colors you would like to make the pom poms…we found every color imaginable at Party City), cut into 9″ x 12″ rectangles
Scissors
Duct tape

What to do:
1. Make two stacks of 25-30 layers of the 9″x 12″ cut pieces of table cloth together. For a colorful pom pom, vary the colors as you stack them.
2. Working on one stack at a time, cut strips about 1/2 -3/4″ wide and 4.5 inches long down the entire length of each of the 9 inch sides of the rectangle stack to create a fringe. There should be about 3 inches of un-cut material remaining in the center of the rectangle stack.
3. Scrunch together the uncut center of the pom pom and secure with duct tape.
4. Repeat process with the other pom pom.
5. Nows the time consuming time. I can tell you it took two episodes of Flipping Out to get one pair of pom poms fluffy. Here’s what you do: Working in sections, take two strips at a time and pull the two strips in opposite directions. Repeat on all the strips until the entire pom-pom is full.

Note: Do not pull TOO hard as the plastic is thin and could tear.

Other gifts to give for the “cheerleaders” in your life from the Yum Yum Smile Shop:
•Varsity Sticker Pack
•Team Yum Yum Cheerleader Patch
•Team Yum Yum Megaphone Patch
•Team Smile Enamel Pin

By Libbie Summers
Assisted by David Dempsey
Photography byTeresa Earnest Social

When an iconic pattern/print takes over your creative mind, really fun things can happen. Sure they aren’t for everybody, but maybe just a little takeaway from this room of crazy can help you decorate your holiday this year. Maybe just wear one of my Pom Pom Bandanas from the Yum Yum Smile Shop or make a bandana ornament, or wear a vintage bandana print jumpsuit, or make a bandana backdrop, or bandana up the ends of your fireplace logs, or sew festive stockings. It’s not all or nothing here…but all is really kind of great!

1. Bandana-Inspired Holiday Style

Pom Pom Bandana from Yum Yum Smile Shop
1960’s Vintage Bandana Print Jumpsuit from Birthday Life Vintage on Etsy
Glitter Boots from J Crew
Relaxed Boy Shirt in Crinkle Gingham from J Crew

2. Bandana Ornaments

3. Bandana Stockings

More handmade stocking ideas HERE!

4. Bandana Gift Wrapping

On our packages, we used a bandana printed ribbon and festooned the gifts with blocks of bandana scraps and loose bandana “bows”.

5. Bandana Fireplace Logs

If you have a non-working fireplace like we do in the studio, have some fun with it. We decoupaged the ends of birch logs with colorful bandana scraps.
Maybe you like gingham better? Check this video out.

6. Bandana Toy Horse Blankets for Stocking Hangers

Happy Holidays!