Perfectionist Planning a Party? Meet Your Delicious Salvation!

When hosting an event, nothing beats a "custom" item for bringing utter awesomeness and warmth to your gathering. From birthday parties to reunions, baby showers to corporate events, providing something cool and tailored to your specific shindig completely ups the wow factor and makes guests feel pretty darn special.

Trouble is, "Custom" often comes to the party with its two meddlesome buddies: Cost and Time. Staying up all night to hand-make goodies just leaves you exhausted. And the price tag for bought custom items is often a bit more than the event budget permits.

Darling, say helloooo to the smartest solution ever for making your next soiree memorable: Cupcake Caps. These gems transform ordinary cupcakes into something stunning with an edible, designed-to-your-event topper. Made primarily of sugar and with a neutral, sweet taste, Brides magazine calls them "a DIY dessert with couture results."

Simply bake or buy plain cupcakes, frost those babies, and top with a Cupcake Cap. Voila! Beautifully designed, fabulously effortless YUM that holds up in transport and stays perfect all party long.

Each event is treated with love by the Cupcake Caps team - from a Superbowl party at your house for 18, to a recent Southwest Airlines company celebration for 8000, these folks absolutely deliver - frequently, around the world!

Cupcake Caps are available via their website (www.cupcakecaps.com). You'll find oodles of styles from just $12.00/dozen. Or email them about a special design (it's only $50 extra for the custom treatment). Either way, you will love, love the results...and the party pics of you looking fabulously rested and enjoying your guests!

When ordering, use promo code SML at checkout and receive an extra dozen - FREE! Discounts are sooo delicious!

Love,

Melinda

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky Super Much Love fan will win a $1000 American Express gift card when we reach 200 Facebook followers ("likes") and 20 countries. Please take an itsy-bitsy moment to hit the Suggest to Friends link on Super Much Love's Facebook Page to help share SML.

We send a warm welcome to new readers in Singapore and Russia!

Photo Credit: Cupcake Caps

The Brush-Off

I love animals. And, despite a fine assortment of little OCD's in my emotional makeup bag, I seem particularly drawn to pets that shed. LOTS.

This 'hair, hair, everywhere' can become a little overwhelming at times - particularly when I spot the fur rolling, like soft tumbleweeds, across my hardwood floors. My friends with cats struggle with the same issue. We collectively sigh.

But love is the strongest compulsion of all, no? So I won't be trading in my sweet little Welsh Corgi mix - she's 100% goodness, and certainly doesn't judge me when I leave the house, black clothes 'textured' in her super soft fur.

I've sampled a myriad of marketing-laden pet brushes in my quest to quell the tumbleweeds. These products have largely fallen into the category of 'all hat, no cattle.' Some - particularly the wire/metal models - have even seemed slightly painful to animals. Ouch!

And then a friend introduced me to the KONG Zoom Groom.

The most effective and fun-looking brush ever, the Zoom Groom is made of soft rubber nubbies and features an easy-grip handle.

Celia, my 4-year-old pup, relaxes completely when I brush her now, as the Zoom Groom appears to feel much like a massage. And those little nubbies are like super magnets for loose hair - it's absolutely amazing how much progress you can make in just a 5-minute brushing. My folks are so nuts about the product's effectiveness with their two dogs that they now give the Zoom Groom as gifts to friends!

KONG Zoom Groom comes in two models - one for dogs, another for cats - and is available at your local PETCO, and on Amazon. I do think it would make a perfect little stocking stuffer...it's under $10 - 'H' is for Happiness!

Here's to restored sanity in your own pet-loving household…and a much happier Rover or Felix!

Love,

Melinda

GIVEAWAY: One lucky Super Much Love fan will win a $1000 American Express gift card when we reach 200 Facebook followers ("likes") and 20 countries! Help us out by hitting the Suggest to Friends link on Super Much Love's Facebook Page. And good luck in the Love Giveaway!

Photo Credit: PETCO

When It's Cool To Be Crafty

Dallas possesses more restaurants per capita than NYC. We know and love great food. The challenge on weekend mornings in our fair city is this: approximately one zillion other folks are also craving a hot breakfast prepared by someone to whom they are not related.

30-minute waits for a table are the norm. Spilled, hurried drink delivery, sardine-style seating and high-volume conversations surround you. Servers are stressed to the max.

Allow me to introduce you to what I call Dallas' Secret Breakfast Nirvana. It's being served up at Craft Restaurant, located in the W Hotel in Victory Park.

Yes, Craft is best known for fabulous dinner fare by celebrity chef, Tom Colicchio. What you might not realize, however, is that Craft's breakfast and brunch prices are much more down-home - literally comparable to most any good breakfast spot in Uptown or Lovers/Inwood!

Homemade biscuits and gravy with two eggs. Hazelnut waffles. Build your own HUGE omelette. Pastries are made from scratch by Craft Dallas' amazing pastry team. (Do NOT miss the bacon scones!)

Bonus: Ingredients for Craft menus are lovingly, locally sourced.

Service is warm and attentive. Dress code? Just come comfortable. You'll see everything - yoga pants, flip-flops, jeans, suits - mingling happily.

All the tables feature nice views, but be sure to request what I call the 'mafia booths,' located against the right-side wall. Comfy for hours and cool as the dickens, these six round booths are fabulous for tucking your sleepy self away while you wake up with great coffee, dine and people watch.

Afterwards, enjoy a walk in the sunshine on the Katy Trail - it's just two blocks to the north.

Parking

FREE valet parking at the W Hotel. (Craft will validate your valet ticket.)

Breakfast and Brunch Hours

M-F: 630am - 11am

Sat/Sun: Breakfast: 8am-11am; Brunch: 11am - 2pm

Love,

Melinda

P.S. If you don't live in Dallas, do check out similar offerings at wonderful hotels in your own city! You may be delighted to discover that your fave nicey-nice restaurant dishes up a scrumptious, reasonably-priced breakfast. Here's to peaceful mornings and pastry perfection!

GIVEAWAY: Thank you for sharing Super Much Love with your friends - we're now being followed in 12 countries! When Super Much Love reaches 20 countries and 200 Facebook fans, one lucky SML follower will win a $1000 American Express gift card! Help us out by hitting the Suggest to Friends link on Super Much Love's Facebook Page.

Good luck in the Love Giveaway!

It's In The Cards

November finds us searching jacket pockets for the last of the Halloween candy - just the bite-sized buzz needed for tackling the to-do lists of Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Task Numero Uno: The Holiday Card.

It's one occasion in which an email howdy-do just...won't do. Yet you don't want syrupy, heavy-handed nonsense arriving via post with your name on it.

What to do? Apply Mirth - a new card line from creative wunderkind Dayna Fries.

Perfect no matter your faith or focus, Mirth's vintage graphics, savvy-sassy writing, hand-embellished papers and metallic envelopes will rock your holiday with humor and style.

Want a fabulously fresh gift idea? Let Mirth put together an assortment of witty all-occasion cards for you. They'll arrive delightfully wrapped and ready for your lucky sister or Uncle Louie.

Mirth ships to the U.S and internationally, and can be reached at Mirth's Facebook Page, or via email: mirthgreetingcards@yahoo.com.

Use code SuperMuchMirth for free domestic shipping through November 30, 2010.

Cool can be soooo warm.

Love,

Melinda

GIVEAWAY: We're so excited - Super Much Love is now being read in 12 countries...and we're just two months old! When we reach 20 countries and 200 Facebook fans, one lucky SML follower will win a $1000 American Express gift card! Help us out by hitting the Suggest to Friends link on Super Much Love's Facebook Page.

And good luck in the Love Giveaway!

Photo Courtesy: Mirth