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Monday, February 17, 2014

Java Jamboree

I attended my first "blog party" yesterday called JAVA JAMBOREE, hosted by my amazing friend Kelly from Sequins and Scissors.  Kelly is the talented lady who takes care of my wild mane of hair every couple of months!  She's been doing my hair for a few years now -- we always find ourselves talking about blogs, Pinterest, crafts, and decorating.  And now she has her very own blog, so it was so nice to get to know all of her other "blogging" friends!


The day was filled with coffee sipping, cupcake eating, and lots of other great desserts to nibble on as our group of eight chatted about our lives!  Overall, it was just a great girls days.



The coffee was sponsored by Hubbard & Cravens. A local coffee shop serving "locally roasted artisanal coffee since 1991."  Their "local" coffee just means their beans, which are actually from around the world from the best coffee retailers, are sent straight from the farm, so they are fresh, sustainable, and great quality coffees.


You can find their product at seven retail locations around Indianapolis, and in many fine restaurants and hotels around the country.  This location is right around the corner from my house in Carmel, in the Carmel City Center.


Hubbard & Cravens provided us with three different coffees to try.


BLUE MOON ORGANIC -- from the northern Bali islands has a rich, earthy taste.  A darker, stronger tasting coffee, but still mild and sweet.


 OAKLAND ESTATE -- from Kenya is winey and tart.  It had a lightness and sweetness with notes of grapefuit and raspberry. 

 

SoBRO ORGANIC -- from SW Pacific is their Signature Blend with hints of plum fruit and a milk chocolate finish.  


My FAVORITE coffee of the day was the Kenya AA Oakland Estate.  I normally have to add milk and creamer or sweetener to my coffee, but this was so light and sweet that I think I would actually drink it straight black!  My second favorite was the SoBro Organic.  And my least favorite was the Blue Moon Organic.  It was just too dark and strong tasting for me!


The cupcakes from Gigi's Cupcakes were also amazing!  As you can see, they didn't last long!  Gigi's has four locations currently in Indiana! 



They are known for piling on their frosting!  Usually the height of the frosting is bigger than the cupcake its self!

image found via web search



I made my favorite dessert Individual Strawberry Cheesecakes to take along with me to the party! I usually only make these in the Summer because it is often hard to find strawberries that are big enough to stuff with cheesecake.  But they are a great easy, bite size dessert that everyone loves!


All you need to make this dessert is strawberries, cheesecake (no-bake box or sometimes you can find a pre-made tub of cheesecake), graham cracker crumbs, and chocolate drizzle is optional.

Just hollow out the strawberries with a knife.  Fill the strawberries with the cheesecake.  I fill a zip-lock bag with the cheesecake filling and snip a hole at the end to make this step a little easier.  Throw your graham cracker crumbs on a small plate and dip the cheesecake ends in the crumbs.  I drizzled chocolate on the top for a little added touch!


Kelly's decor for the party was so cute!  She put so much time into all of the little details, which I love!  See her post here for more information about the decor for the party! 



I was obsessed with her TJ Maxx napkins!



We also played a few games where we had to wear some crazy headbands on our head to hold the cards!



The Hostess with the Mostess!  Kelly!


Aleks won the gift bag from the day!  Filled with a coffee mug and some other great coffee supplies!


Overall, it was a fabulous day getting to know some fellow bloggers like me!  I love meeting new people and especially connecting with other bloggers!


All of the ladies from left to right.  Check out all of their blogs!
ME

6 comments:

  1. It was so great to meet you! Looking forward to getting to know you more! I am so glad I tried one of your strawberry cheesecake bites before the party was over...so good!
    Eva Marie

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    1. It was so great to meet you, Eva! I love having all of these "new" blogs to follow now! Thanks! I wish you girls would have had more. My husband and I did some damage on them that night! haha!

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  2. I agree with Eva, your dessert was so good! So glad that we got to meet! xo

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  3. REALLY Great Post Jess! (except that horrible pic of me!)...lol..You totally did your research on Hubbard & Cravens! I like how you featured my napkins (hehe)...and my hubby is still talking about those strawberries!

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    Replies
    1. Haha! You're funny, Kelly! It wasn't that bad! I just caught you off guard *a little*! I wish I would have left you more of them! My husband and I had one too many to finish off!!

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