A Side of Sweet

Beautiful Food, Travel & Design

Weekend Update

According to my phone….

1. This weekend brought lots of beautiful sunsets and time enjoying the outdoors.  Now that exams are done, I can catch my breath a little!

2. We met up with friends to catch a great band at the Memorial Union Terrace

2. This weekend also brought lots of bike rides, including the Tour de Food and some B-cycling of course!

3. We used a Groupon to the Melting Pot.  Yummm, fondue.

4.  We live in a very liberal…creative….neighborhood.  Pat spotted this gal on our way home from the Melting Pot.  Note the hula hoop.

Gilded Disposable Plastic Plates

Gilded Disposable Plastic Plates

Even though our wedding is a year away, since I’m DIY-ing as much of it as I can, I’m getting started early.  This weekend, I tackled our wedding tableware.  To decrease costs and hassle, we’re using disposable plates.  Despite this, I wanted them to be unique.  I dressed them up a little with this easy DIY.  I repeated the process with disposable cups as well. Check that DIY :: gilded disposable plastic cups.

How to Make Upcycled DIY Gold Disposable Plates for a Wedding

MATERIALS

  • Clear plastic plates
  • Protective gloves and mask
  • Gold spray paint – I tried numerous types and the Krylon Short Cuts is the only one that really worked. Many others have something added to them to give a “gold leaf” texture. This doesn’t look as nice for some reason.
  • Painter’s Tape – A thicker size, like 2 inches, will make your life easier
  • Glade Press ‘n’ Seal Cling Wrap

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Press painter’s tape firmly on the ***underside*** of your plate. (*Important – don’t spray paint the side of the plate that people will eat off of!)
  2. Cover the side you don’t want sprayed with press ‘n’ seal wrap. You can reuse one piece for many plates
  3. Spray exposed part of plate with an even coat of spray paint
  4. Remove cling wrap and let dry
  5. Gently remove painters tape

Gilded Disposable Plastic Plates

See more of our wedding photos & DIYs:

DIY Hanging Twine Balls
First Look Wedding Photos, Part I
First Look Wedding Photos, Part II
Wedding Dance Party Photos
Wedding Details – Dessert Table & Table Decorations
Wedding Updo – How to Chalk Your Hair
Wedding Ceremony Pictures
Wedding Getting Ready Pictures
Vintage Drawer Pulls as Placecard Holders DIY
DIY Wedding Photobooth Setup with Printable
DIY Gilded Upcycled Plastic Cups
DIY Glitter Upcycled Silverware
DIY Honey Jar Wedding Favors
Rustic Wedding Cake Frosting Technique
Stuffed S’mores Cupcakes Recipe
DIY Glitter Swizzle Sticks
DIY Embossed Envelopes
Engagement Photos, Part I
Engagement Photos, Part II

Tour de Food {Fitness}

This past weekend, Pt and I joined some friends to do a bike ride to support a local food co-op.  The idea was a 35 mile bike ride in the beautiful Wisconsin countryside with numerous stops along the way at local farms for snacks.

I should have been suspicious that the price tag for such an event was only $25.  It was a beautiful day and I had a blast spending it with friends, but the ride was a bit of a bust.  For starters, the route was not marked, so we had to rely on a printed out google map to navigate ourselves.  I’m taking it as a small victory that we only got lost…twice.

Our route had four farms on it.  As we rolled into the first stop, most of us had skipped breakfast, so we were starving.  Visions of free range eggs and organic bacon danced in our heads.  Imagine our surprise when we were offered grapes!

The next farm was even worse.  They informed us that they had run out of iced tea – and ice – and offered us some lukewarm water.  By the time we made it to the third stop, we were starving.  There, we were treated to organic popcorn and you-pick organic strawberries.  This was definitely a step up, but I would have given my pinky finger for a granola bar or some gatorade!  In the end, we decided to bypass the last farm and make a beeline for the “huge after party with local beer tasting”.

There, we enjoyed a spaghetti lunch with grass fed beef – which was delicious.  The “beer tasting” turned out to be a taste of beer.  Each of us was handed a dixie cup of a local Wisconsin brew.

I’m still not sure that I got my $25 worth, but it was a fun day with friends and a great way to see some of the Wisconsin countryside!

 
 
 

Recall Day

Today is a big day in Wisconsin.  There is a recall election for our governor for the first time in Wisconsin history.  Pat and I waited in line for the polls to open at 7:00 this morning.  There was already a line out the door!  Based on other people’s statuses on Facebook more people have voted by 9:00am in this election than by 8:00pm for the primary.  No matter what your political leanings are, I hope everyone in Wisconsin gets out to do their civic duty today.

Wheat Berry Salad with Ginger-Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe

Vegetarian

This recipe was a HUGE hit.  “It’s like dessert…but it’s not,” Pat said mystified.  The dried cherries give just the right amount of sweetness and the tang of the citrus vinaigrette complemented it perfectly.  Add to that the perfect chewiness of the wheat berries and you have a winner!  Delicious and you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it.  We’ll definitely be making this again.

Thanks so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube,Bloglovin’, Snapchat(@asideofsweet), or Twitter, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts (see sidebar).

Wheat Berry Salad with Ginger-Citrus Vinaigrette