Ballerina Cupcakes

Would someone please, PLEASE, please be kind enough to have a daughter and then throw her a ballerina-themed birthday party so I can have a reason to make these sweet little cupcake toppers?? Carrie of Bella Cupcake Couture just put up a post about them and I'm dying to make them.

So...any volunteers?

Adding to the Cupcake Collection

As Executive Cupcake Analyst, my husband's jobs are many. Not only is he required to taste all new cupcake flavors before they are offered to the public but he also must continually sample batches for quality control purposes (sometimes up to 2-3 cupcakes per batch). It's a demanding job but one he consistently excels at and for that I am thankful. Another job that he has (though somewhat unofficial) is that of cupcake decoration supplier. On that note, take a look at the table runner that he found and surprised me with! This is just the cheeriest table runner I can imagine. How can you not smile when you see this?? Thank you, sweetheart!

Cupcake Bling

Check out this pretty little cupcake charm given to me by Suzi (mother to the Executive Cupcake Analyst and mother-in-law to the Master Cupcakestress)! Isn't it the cutest? It's hanging on my keychain right next to my Eiffel Tower :)

Newest Update: Keep an eye out for pictures of our latest and greatest flavor: Peanut Butter Perfection! Created last week with the help of the refined palates of the distinguished members of the Cupcake Board (prepositional phrase frenzy WHAT??), the Peanut Butter Perfection will be making its visual debut shortly.

My Plates!

OK, some of you may not know this drama but for those that do, you'll understand why this was so special. I've been searching around for a couple weeks now for some decorative plates with cute cakes on them. I saw some in a picture that a friend took and she couldn't recall where she'd purchased them. This lead me on a mad hunt for similar plates which quickly lead nowhere.

I finally found some that I liked but at $12.99 a plate they seemed like something I should save up for instead of just leap in and buy. I put them on the back burner in my mind and as days went by, they slowly faded into the background.

Tonight, as I was laying around on the couch trying to decide what to do with my night, I thought it would be a good idea to head to my local Border's bookstore to read some cookbooks. When I got to the store, I decided to stroll around a bit outside and ended up walking past a Marshall's that I didn't even know was there. I headed inside for a quick peek to see if there were any home decor items that I liked to spruce up our apartment a bit when lo and behold, I found my plates! Not only did I find the ones that I liked that were originally $12.99, but I found other cute decorative plates and serving pieces that were all decorated with cupcakes and polka dots as if they were made especially for me! But the best part is, the plates that I wanted so dearly but would have cost me $52 + shipping had I purchased them online were only $2.99 each at Marshall's!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I got all four plates for what I WOULD have paid for just ONE plate online! Oh my heavens.

While I attempted to use discretion and pick and choose which items I should purchase and which I should put back, a phone call with a local private investor who wishes to remain a-mom-ymous enabled me to purchase all items to add to my cupcake display collection. I'm pretty excited about all the pieces. The 3-tiered glass display is actually comprised of three separate pieces that would allow me to display different numbers of cupcakes either in a tree fashion or spread out along a table. The plates can either be hung on the wall or used for serving, the big cake stand can obviously hold several cupcakes and the rectangular piece would be good for serving sample flavors to people.

What do you think? I'm just in love with them :)

Neatest Liners Ever!

Look at these really fun liners that were featured on Cupcakes Take the Cake! This designer, Carrie Middlemiss of Bella Cupcake Couture, set out to create a creative way to wrap cupcakes and if I may say so myself, I think she really took the cake! These would be great for weddings and parties -- I could see these as part of a cute Sweet Sixteen cupcake tower. This design is my current favorite; however, if some with polka dots came out, I might be quick to change my mind!