Baking with love

February 11, 2021 Amanda + Isabelle

We went a little overboard the other day and made three different kinds of cookies, which is especially crazy since none of us have anywhere to take and share them… but between the two of us and our mom, there were too many good ideas, so we just made them all! And while we wish we could share the actual cookies with you, we thought the next best thing was to give you some inspiration if you’re thinking of doing a little baking in the next few days before Valentine’s Day. It’s just such a fun excuse to get out all the pink sprinkles! (and if you are in need of any, definitely check out our favorite local source, Home Cake Decorating)

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Mom’s pick: **Spritz** are one of our favorite Christmas cookies and are really easy to do for Valentine’s Day - swap the holly for a heart and add all the red, pink and white sprinkles you can find. You could do the same with most holiday recipes, like cutout sugar cookies, shortbread or truffles. It’s really not fair that December gets all the good stuff!

Pink explosion

Amanda’s pick (can’t you tell?): Ok, we got a little creative here and took this delicious **gooey butter cookie** recipe to the next level with food coloring and sprinkles (we also decided to make these vanilla since the spritz are almond flavored). We actually really liked the texture from the sparkly pink sugar sprinkles since they added the right amount of crunch (the red and white nonpareils weren’t everyone’s favorite, but darn they are cute). They are so fun to look at and look like more work than they actually were, total win.

The way to their heart…

Isabelle’s pick: her husband really loves anything ginger, so she wanted to try these **gingergread crinkle cookies**. Maybe you won’t make something that looks like Valentine’s day, but you know it’s something they will absolutely love :)

Happy baking!

Valentine's Day - celebrating your friends!

January 28, 2021 Amanda Davis

The days are getting longer and we’re thinking about the next holiday that can be celebrated with sugar and baked goods… Valentine’s Day! We’re also making sure this post goes up early enough in case you want to join us in sending something to your friends to make them smile :)

Even before Galentine’s Day became popular, Amanda enjoyed sending cards or making treats for her friends, and this year it feels especially important to stay connected as we approach the one-year-in-various-levels-of-quarantine mark. Here are a few ideas to get you started if you want to spread a little love this year!

Screen+Shot+2021-01-28+at+11.20.37+AM.jpg — Love bomb

We have to admit that this **hot chocolate bomb** trend is super fun (the videos are so satisfying!). We just placed an order and can’t wait to try it (shopping is about buying for your friends *and* yourself, right?). You can also try your hand at making them yourself with a little help from our favorite cake supply store. Definitely a sweet surprise to drop off for a friend :)

Screen+Shot+2021-01-26+at+11.07.55+AM.jpg — Mail a card

And support a Black owned business while you’re at it! We love this fun **set of cards**. This past year has really emphasized the need to support small businesses, and places like Etsy or Society6 are great ways to discover artists and purchase their work.

Screen Shot 2021-01-26 at 11.35.01 AM.png — A little extra love

We recently (and accidentally because of a mail mix-up) discovered the local company **Knack Shops** that puts together curated gift boxes. This is the chic, Nordstrom-meets-Anthro modern gift set you actually want to send to a friend.

Screen+Shot+2021-01-28+at+11.40.34+AM.jpg — Send a little surprise

Candy is a bit tricky to mail (without extra fees), so why not send a throwback like temporary tattoos or stickers to put a smile on their face.

Screen+Shot+2021-01-26+at+11.29.47+AM.jpg — It’s the thought

Sending a valentine note doesn’t have to cost a lot or be fancy - you can make a simple card with a favorite quote or poem (Amanda’s go-to) or pick up some classic elementary school valentine’s cards. The important thing is to let your friends know you’re thinking about them (and supporting the **USPS** at the same time!).

Don’t forget to check out our previous Valentine’s posts for a fun baking project and local businesses we love!

Do you really need wedding favors?

January 14, 2021 Amanda + Isabelle

Let’s start the year off with a post full of hot takes, shall we?! A question we are often asked by couples is: do we need to have favors for our guests?

The short answer

No. You can do whatever you want, it’s your wedding!

A quick litmus test: does the image to the right give you heart palpitations of the “I’m going to die” or “I’m in love” sort?

The longer answer

Our guiding advice for anything related to wedding planning is this: does it make sense for you as a couple (both to have favors at all, and more specifically the favors you are considering)?

So if you are considering favors, then what? To start, no one is going to be mad about an edible favor and traditionally that’s what they were before the internet convinced people to start doing more elaborate (and often monogrammed…) items that are just not necessary. Perhaps there is some item you both love, you think all your guests would enjoy having it and there’s room in the budget, then do it! Our advice though, keep it timeless by skipping the personalization with your wedding monogram/date.

Then as a way to circumvent deciding on a trinket to give, the idea of a ‘donation in lieu of a favor’ came about. This is a great idea, no one will be mad about it, but it’s also not really necessary - feel free to make the donation, but you don’t have to tell your guests about it. We promise no one will wander aimlessly all night wondering where their favor is!

One of the better options is the reinvention of the sweet treat in the form of a candy bar - interactive, edible and possibly more economical since you can buy things in bulk and not worry about individually wrapped favors. No harm, no foul, but again, if you didn’t fall in love at a Sweet Factory, this doesn’t have to be your thing.

The non-favor favor is the centerpiece, which serves a decorative purpose for the reception, then becomes a gift (i.e. favor) and means less clean-up after (this is what we would call a win-win-win). It’s not super common, but it’s a lovely gesture that some guests will enjoy.

Our favorite favor? The kind that makes sense. And by that we mean, if you really want a favor, think of what could say something about you as a couple (bonus points if it’s edible). Favorite snack? Tells a story about a favorite date spot? Where you’re from? Where you met? It could be something you (or a family member) make or consider picking a local small business you want to support! Cookies, chocolates, honey, jam, caramel sauce, spice rub, tea… to name a few. Heck, give out stamps and support the USPS at the same time if you love sending mail! (it is weirdly satisfying to brainstorm clever favor ideas, so hit us up if you want help with this) If you would be happy to keep the leftovers, that’s a great test of whether it’s a good idea.

And if you even think “do we need a favor?” here is your permission to skip it and move on.

Tell us about your favorite wedding favor or if you have any wedding planning hot takes!

Perfectly Paired Bloopers

December 31, 2020 Amanda + Isabelle

We’ve had the idea for a while to do a post with outtakes just for fun, but somehow it feels extra fitting this year. Could 2020 just be one giant blooper? These aren’t all from this year, but a peak behind the scenes since we started Perfectly Paired. One of the best parts of working together/hanging out and sharing that with you is that there’s a lot of laughing!

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In addition to all the sad/crazy/horrible/lame things that have happened, we also know there is a lot to be thankful for. We appreciate everyone doing their part to keep our community safe and feel very lucky that our family has stayed healthy. There has also been a lot for us to celebrate this year and we can only hope that 2021 brings great things (the bar is very low here 2021, don’t let us down).

Happy new year!

Amanda + Isabelle

Holiday special edition: Christmas joy

December 17, 2020 Amanda + Isabelle

For so many reasons this Christmas season is different, but we have still been able to do some of the things we love - cookies are happening because we all still need those in 2020 and not even a pandemic could get between us and getting a Christmas tree. It’s Isabelle’s first Christmas with her husband and Amanda has a baby. WHOA. So it only feels right to appreciate some of the simple things that bring us joy this time of year.