The Robinson Residence: 2020

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Brett's 40th Surprise Birthday Party- Hibachi Style





   

     This month my sweet husband Brett turned 40! The big 40! I am so proud to be his wife and stand by him. In his 40 years of life, he has accomplished so much. He is a successful entrepreneur, runs and owns 3 companies, he is the hardest worker yet is still the most loving and present husband to me and father to our 3 children and most importantly.. he is a Godly man. He deserves it all! 
     2020 has been a crazy year and despite all of the crazy restrictions, I knew I wanted to make his 40th birthday special! Something he'll always remember and just a little reminder of how special he is to me and how much I love him. .
    I decided we were going to go with a SURPRISE Hibachi themed party! Something fun and unique!  Brett loves all types of Asian foods, it is easily his favorite kind of food. So when I spotted JC Hibachi on Instagram I knew I had to book! JC Hibachi is a top quality Japanese catering and personal chef here in Houston and surrounding areas. I couldn't recommend him enough! The experience was amazing. Not only was his food absolutely delicious- he was so entertaining! He interacted with us and the kids with funny props to throwing rice in our mouths. We were constantly smiling and laughing!
     For the Party set up, I wanted it to be an intimate scene at our Ranch in front of our pond. It was a very relax feel! I wanted the hibachi grill to go under a tent. I went through Avalon Event Rentals  and rented out a 20x20 frame tent with leg drapery and I also added a black chandelier to the tent! I was very impressed with how it all turned out. It was beautiful.
    Next up, I had to have a main "WOW" factor to the party set up! I spotted GF Lit Marquee Letters on Instagram and just knew they had to be apart of this special event for Brett. GF Lit offers 4 ft marquee letter's/numbers/symbols that light up! I received so many compliments and "WOWS!" on this statement piece! I got mine stacked to say "BRETT'S 40!" and once again I could not recommend this Marquee vendor enough!
      I wanted to add something more to "BRETT'S 40!" Marquee Letters! I wanted to add a pop of color and dimension, to really make the letter's stand out! I knew just who to call who could make it happen! My sweet friend Isabella from  Balloons by Isabella. Her and her husband are the sweetest power couple duo and made my vision a reality! They did a beautiful cascade of balloons on each side of the Marquee Letters. They also added some Asian styled hand held fans and an Asian bamboo umbrella. All of Isabella's work is beautiful and breath taking! She is also a sweet heart to work with and I 10/10 recommend her to you for your next event.
     Of course, we had to celebrate with a sweet treat!  I received the most beautiful Japanese themed cake from  The Cake Boutique By Miri ! I was absolutely blown away by her art. The cake was beautiful and so detailed. Also, yes.. it is hard to find someone who does a beautiful cake. However, it is even harder to find someone who does a beautiful cake AND they can make the cake taste amazing too! Miri outdid herself! Her cake was not only beautiful...it was delicious. It was so moist and her cake flavors and fillings were out of this world. She homemakes her own jellies for the fillings. I went with her most popular flavor-Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Jelly and Cream Cheese Filling. I can see why that's a favorite. IT. WAS. SO YUMMY!! I am going to be using her for a lot more events to come!
     Last but NOT least.. a MOBILE BAR SERVICE! That was a must, right?!!! I searched and searched and came across the coolest one. Something that I knew Brett would really be impressed by. The Tap Truck. Seriously you guys, I have never seen something like this in my life! I loved this so much because unlike all of the other "mobile /bubbly bars" this had the more masculine feel which is exactly what I wanted for my husbands birthday party! This one was SO UNIQUE! That's what I loved most about it.  Basically the best local craft beer and wine coming out of a cool vintage pick-up truck! What!? How awesome. They provide cocktails and liquor as well. The owner, Tiffany was super responsive and easy to work and schedule with! She was the one at our party serving us and she was a doll! Nothing but great things to say about her and her company! Contact her if you're looking for a unique factor for your next event!!
     I had such a blast planning this for my sweet Brett. He deserved it all and more. He was SUPER surprised and couldn't believe it! This party was a success and I truly hope Brett knows how loved he is by us. He is our rock! We love you!

* A huge thank you to all of the Vendors who were apart of this event and allowed for my vision to come to life! I couldn't recommend them each enough and feel so honored that they were apart of such a special day and celebration.


Marquee Letters: GF Lit Marquee Letters @gf_lit





Monday, November 23, 2020

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

     Hi there! Who’s ready for Thanksgiving? I cannot believe Thanksgiving is this week. We are so excited! As the holiday approaches us, there is so much to think about. So much to be thankful for and show gratitude toward. For me it’s simply- God, My family, and our health. What about you? I would love to hear! 

     What are your Thanksgiving plans?! Rather you’re hosting or headed to a family members home.. I’ve got the most delicious and beautiful appetizer for you!


         It’s... Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions! ENJOY!



 Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1 1/2 medium onions, chopped (roughly 2 1/2 cups)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs for garnish
  • 1 (8 ounce) wheel brie cheese, cold
  • 1 sheet prepared puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
  • Flour, for rolling
  • 1 whisked egg, for egg wash
  • Crackers, sliced baguette, apples/pears, for serving on the side

Directions

  1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2-3 tablespoons of oil; once hot, add in the sliced onions along with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they become deeply golden-brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
  2. Once golden, stir in the teaspoon of sugar, followed by the balsamic vinegar, and allow the mixture to bubble up and reduce, stirring to incorporate; allow the onions to cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently now, until jam-like and deeply browned; then, add the 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves, stir to combine, and remove from pan and allow to cool (you should have roughly 1/2 cup).
  3. To prepare the baked brie, lightly flour your work surface, and roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet to about 1/8” thickness, a bit larger than the wheel of brie (trim the puff pastry a little bit if it’s considerably too large for your brie); place the brie in the center of it, spoon over top of it the cooled, balsamic caramelized onions, then fold the puff pastry sheet over top to cover everything, creating a little “package” with pleats.
  4. Place the wrapped brie “package” onto a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and very gently brush some egg wash over the puff pastry (avoid allowing it to pool underneath), and place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes (or even overnight), covering lightly with plastic wrap.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  6. Once ready to bake, place the brie into the oven and bake for roughly 35-40 minutes, or until deeply golden and puffed; allow the baked brie to stand for 10 minutes before serving, to avoid it oozing out too much.
  7. To serve, add a couple of decorative sprigs of thyme, and surround the brie with crackers, sliced baguette, or even fruit such as apples or pears.

I came across this delicious recipe from The Cozy Apron and could not wait to share it with you!

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Noah's DINO-mite, TWO-Rex Birthday Party

     Hi sweet friends! I hope you are all doing well. It's been a while since I've written a blog post, it seems hard to find the time now a days!  Anyways, today I am going to be sharing Noah's 2nd birthday party with you all. Yes, I know. I am seriously a YEAR late, and it is so embarrassing, but this party of his was TOO cute not to share!
     My sweet baby boy turns 3 on June 30th, and we are having his 3rd birthday party this upcoming Saturday! He is so excited and I am so excited to share the details on this upcoming one, and I promise I won't be sharing it a year later. Oh gosh! LOL. But, I wanted to get to his 2nd birthday before his 3rd.
     Who else's little boy is in love with dinosaurs?! I know my sweet Noah was at 2 and STILL is at 3. I think he will be for a while! I think the dinosaur theme is great for boys of all ages! I had so much fun planning this "DINO-mite TWO-Rex" one out for him. We had a blast every second, hope you enjoy looking through our sweet memories.

If you have any questions on where I got anything else from, please feel free to contact me!

Dinosaurs: Jurassic Extreme
Balloon Garland: A Pink String
Balloon Yard Sign: Boballoons 360
Cake &Cupcakes: Tiny Bakes
   


 

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