More Pina Coladas!



"Pina Colada"

Ok, here are some better pics taken with my new Canon Digital SLR. 
However, I still need lessons!

Hello Kitty Birthday Party



It's 'Hello Kitty' Time
I love all of my girlfriends, but it's without a doubt that I love them all for different reasons - reasons that are formed from their characteristics and overall personality.  My one girlfriend is the mother of a little girl, and she recently celebrated her 2nd birthday.  When my friend commissioned me to do cupcakes for the party, I got so excited!!  Of course one of my first questions was "what is the theme going to be?" Well, if you knew this particular friend, you would not have been the least bit surprised when she responsed very nonchalantly and with the 'duh like' expression, "ummmm, Happy Birthday?"...yes, Happy Birthday will be the theme."  God Bless my friend, because she absolutely meant it! So, this is how we ended up with Hello Kitty themed cupcakes, because she was not going to just have 'Happy Birthday' cupcakes if I had anything to do with it and I'm glad I did. Gotta love END! 



Large letters/layered cupcake toppers with tulle pom-poms and a silver bread.



Vanilla cupcake w/tinted vanilla buttercream frosting
Hello Kitty toppers made out of fondant, mini M&M's and black piping gel

Easter!

Easter Sunday - Cupcake treats
"Brighten Your Day" & "Strawberry Cheesecake"

"Brighten Your Day" w/Sprinkles

Easter Cupcakes!!

Spring brings out the prettiest colors...and flavors!

"Strawberry Lemon-Lime"

This spring-y cupcake flavor is a spin on the "Lemon-Lime" minus (-) the lemon curd and plus (+) the strawberry.  Perfect for a nice warm and sunny day - this cupcake is guaranteed to make you want another!

Pina Colada's!!! Summer is almost here

Summer is definitely in the air (this weather will make you a firm believer)!  The summer cupcake flavors are on the way, starting with this one below! I named it "Pina Colada", but I am searching for a new name, because I am not sure if I will stick with that one.  So far, I have considered 'Hawaii 5-0' and 'La Coco'.  What do you think of those two? If you don't think those are sound catching, then let's play 'Suggest a Name'!! 

"Pina Colada" - Rum & pineapple cupcake w/coconut cream cheese frosting topped w/toasted shredded coconut...Perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day!



'Olivia the Pig' Kid's Birthday Party

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of making cupcakes for an 'Olivia the Pig' themed birthday party.  I had so much fun creating the toppers and the cupcake stand.  Little projects like this bring out my creative side!

For the toppers I used a large (2 1/2 inch) scalloped hole puncher for the background layer and for the foreground smaller layer (personalized) I used a smaller (1 1/4) scalloped hole puncher. I placed each topper on a rounded toothpick and inserted into cupcake.  For the cupcake stand, I used two regular different sized wrapping boxes and decorated with wrapping paper, ribbon and glittered scrapbooking paper (for dots on top box - cut with 1/2 inch circle hole puncher).

Each topper was personalized

Boxes wrapped in wrapping paper and decorated w/ribbons and scrapbooking paper

Cupcake Flavor - 'Simply Strawberry'

Chocolate is Chocolate is Chocolate!

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!!!  How we love chocolate.  Chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate candy bars, chocolate covered bananas, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate muffins...well, you get my drift. You name any type of food, and I'm willing to bet a catrillion of these bad boys below, that chocolate has already found a way to be incorporated some way, somehow. 

Everyone loves some form of chocolate (rich, semi-sweet, milk chocolate) and we oh so love the baking creations...BUT!!! No one, and again I can place that bet...I mean NO ONE, likes to clean up the mess that is made from baking anything chocolate - me included! (raising both of my hands, with an extra one coming from somewhere to stress my emphasis on loathing this task).

While you can always keep a relatively clean baking space, chocolate has a mind of its own.  Chocolate in a powered form starts to pop up everywhere, melted chocolate often finds its way on every utensil you are using and when it's time to mix and combine, you're already dreading the cleaning process.  The batter goes into the pans alright, but everywhere else as well! Oh, I could go on and on - but I'm not.  I'll digress right...about...now! Whew! Like I said, Chocolate is Chocolate is Chocolate and while it takes a true labor of love to want to clean it, the end result of that treat going into your mouth is 'so worth it'!

In the picture immediately above - 'The Usual Too' - Moist rich chocolate cupcake w/Milk chocolate sour cream buttercream frosting topped with chocolate sprinkles and a mini chocolate coated cookie! The top two pictures are also 'The Usual Too', just covered with sliced almonds!  Savor every bite - Delish!