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!)

DIY: Sublime Stitching

For bridesmaids' gifts, I wanted to include something handmade by me to let my girls know that I appreciate their friendship beyond the boundaries of money. I ended up missing the deadline of the wedding with everything going on, but I "gave" them as Christmas gifts. ("Gave" because I still have some work to do on them, but generally presented the idea at Christmas.)

My mom taught me how to sew when I was just a little kid, and I used to do cross-stitch samples of kitties or butterflies or Christmas designs to give my grandmothers as gifts. But the idea of stitching that kind of stuff now just doesn't appeal to me. I don't really want to frame seashells and hang them in my bathroom, you know? Just not my style.

I can't remember how I found out about Sublime Stitching, but as soon as I saw Jenny's designs and those of her guest artists (like Mitch O'Connell, whose bad girl designs I used for Lea's gift), I knew I had to do something with them. How badass is it to stitch skulls and sexy ladies and luchadors (right? lucha libre?) on stuff?

There are some new designs since I last visited... I MUST find a reason to use these vital organs!

Spotlight on: Pen and Ink Calligraphy

Oh so pretty! I love the uniform look of calligraphy, and I envy those who do it well—like Lisa Ridgely of Pen and Ink. She's self-taught, if you can believe that, and her different styles are gorgeous. My favorite is the "Sarah" not because it's my name :-D but because of its understated elegance. The loops and swirls are beautiful, but my personal style is more simple.