Spotlight On: Couture Cupcakes

Thanks to my friend Amanda for introducing me to Couture Cupcakes! The cupcakes look absolutely amazing, and I really love how unique the designs are. Cupcakes definitely do not need to be boring! Paola's cupcakes are perfectly crafted, with a choice of classic or petite sizes. They even have a "Love Cupcake" that is likened to a loveseat: perfect for two! Cupcake towers, cupcake bouquets, cupcake-scapes—this place is the Mecca of cupcakes. They even deliver, which is great if you're throwing a party and need to turn your time and attention elsewhere.

Not only are Paola's designs amazing, but she also has a heart: her special feature right now is a project with the Children's Inn at NIH. She passed out forms and the kids submitted their cupcake ideas for a contest—the winner, Bret, has a cupcake to steal my own heart: "Chocolate cake with peanut butter filling topped with a vanilla buttercream, peanut butter swirl and chocolate drizzle." YUM! She even has developed cupcakes from each of the other ideas, including Savannah's red velvet cupcake with vanilla cream cheese frosting. (This child should be my kid: named Savannah, red velvet... meant to be!)

My Birthday Party

Unfortunately, between the holidays and the apathy/lethargy that accompanies them, I haven't been as diligent with my posts as I maybe should be. This is me acknowledging that the holidays are over and it's back to reality. *sigh* Anyway...

Tomorrow is my birthday! I'm not having a party, but if I was, there are several key elements that I'd like to incorporate:

• Karaoke. I've always wanted to try it, but have been too shy every time. What better place than a room full of friends for your first time singing in public? After all, these are the people who will remember and taunt you with the memories for the rest of your life.
• Red velvet cake. By far the greatest type of cake there is. When it's bad, it's horrible—but when it's good it's great. And if it could be in the shape of an armadillo with gray icing and all, it would be literally the best birthday cake EVER. (Armadillo from the INCREDIBLE DebbieDoesCakes in Oakland!)
• Asian-inspired elements. I especially would love to have Pad Thai (no forks allowed!) and I'd get some awesome henna on my hands and feet—I've always wanted it but never had a reason to get it. Do you even need a reason??
• Of course I'd want my bestest friends there—people make the party for me. I don't really need anything else!
  

A Kid's Christmas Birthday Party OR How the Gingerbread House Transcends Christmas

I'm not sure how many kids actually have their birthdays on Christmas, but I can tell you from experience that having a birthday anywhere within the 2 weeks before and after means that you get ripped off with the whole presents and party deal. I think this means that you have to try extra hard to make the birthday special amidst all of the other excitement going on.

After reading YogaMum's account of making gingerbread houses with her kids, I thought yes, it sounds like a mess, but I often make just as much of a mess by myself... and how much fun did those kids have?? So I think especially around Christmas making gingerbread houses at a birthday party would be awesome. (Probably splitting kids into groups of 3 or 4 and having an adult at each house would help with the damage control and sharing issues. Recruit some friends to drink some nog and eat some candy with you!)

When I was a kid our family had a collection of cast iron molds for cookies and cornbread and a gingerbread house mold like this one. It was pretty great because it had trees and other accessories besides just house walls and roof. From what I hear, you can also buy one-time kits at Trader Joe's and Ikea. Also, if you're super talented, you could just roll out some dough and design your own house from scratch. I'd suggest this if you are an engineer, an artist, an architect, or anything but a perfectionist. :)

Suggested toppings: anything really, but red hots, gumdrops, mini candy canes, peppermints, sprinkles of all colors, etc. are the common adornments. To truly make this party a birthday party and not just a Christmas party, I'd suggest adding some food coloring to the royal icing to make different color options and branching out from the traditional candy to include tootsie rolls, Nerds, that candy that's shaped like fruit—what's that one called??—anything to make it more fun and more just a big candyfest instead of Christmas: