Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Need a last minute dessert idea for Thanksgiving?? Try this one!!!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes....sooooo yummy (and easy too)!!!!!

Take a box of Spice Cake Mix, add 1 CUP of canned pumpkin, 3 eggs, 1/3 cup of oil and 1 1/3 cup of water. Mix it up, bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so, let it cool and top it off w/ cream cheese icing.

It makes for one delicious, easy and quick Thanksgiving Day dessert!!!

And if you feel like getting adventurous, try topping each cupcake off w/ a "slice" of pumpkin pie. They definitely take the "quick and easy" out of this dessert, but they're so cute! :)Don't have time for those? Use these free printables to top off your cupcakes!! Found here.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!

Pinkalicious Cake and Pinkalicious Ring Tutorial!!

I've discovered over the past couple months that Pinkalicious is one popular party theme! This is my 5th request to make this cake, each time it turns out a little different and that's why I decided to post yet another Pinkalicious cake!

I have also received a number of requests for a tutorial on how to do the cupcake ring I created for Kate's Pinkalicious Party. Its so easy, cute and such a great economical party favor!!

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So here is the long awaited tutorial.

Start off with two shades of pink clay. I used Sculptey Polymer Clay. Knead the clay for about 2 minutes and then roll into a ball.

Start off with the darker pink ball, working it into a shape resembling the "cup" of the cupcake by pinching the bottom so that it tapers down. Rotate and continue to pinch the bottom so that it is even all around.

Once you start to get the shape of a smaller bottom, start pinching the top and bottom to create a flat surface for both ends.

Once you've achieved the shape you want, use a tooth pick to create lines to resemble the cupcake liner.

Now its time to FROST the cupcake!! ;) Roll your lighter shade pink ball into a "snake". You're NOT going to use all of the snake...I rolled out to much. I used maybe 1/3 of this length.

Start winding it around the cupcake base...

Keep winding around until you have the height of the "frosting" that you want. Just pinch off the remaining "snake" of clay.

Top off with a cherry using a little ball of the darker pink.


Add your "sprinkles" (tiny glass jewelry beads) by gently pressing them into the clay.


If you want to use the cupcakes as earrings or a necklace charm you can insert one of these into the top (just cut to length). If you want the cupcake to be a ring then skip this step.



Bake at 275 degrees for about 15-20 minutes and you're done!!!



You can always add a sealer to give it some shine, but its not necessary.



ENJOY!!

Easy Halloween cupcake!

If you're looking for an EASY and unique Halloween cupcake then look no further!! I have just the thing. :) I recently saw a version of this cupcake topper on One Charming Party. It was created for an art party and incorporated all different colors. When I saw it I thought, what an easy and great Halloween cupcake topper that would make if you used just orange and black!!

Wanna know how to do it??

First you start off with some candy melts...orange and black.

Melt a few candy melts in a plastic baggy with a TINY hole on one of the corners. Then squeeze out the chocolate in whatever pattern you like. You could do zigzags like I did, or circles, triangles, diamonds,a combination of several shapes, whatever you want...it doesn't matter and that's exactly what makes this project so easy!!!! The more you mess up the better it looks!

Layer with black....



More orange going in a different direction....

Layer with more black....
And you're done!!

Unique and Easy!!!

Give it a try!`

Too much time on my hands??

Looking for something to do with all your random Happy Meal toys?? If you're like me and hate throwing anything away then I have just the thing!!!

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Make a toy wreath!!!

I decided to do this after I did some major cleaning of the playroom last week. I found tons of random junk toys that never get played with. I was about to throw them out when my little Bailey girl gave me the guilt trip of a lifetime.

Every toy she saw me place into the throw away pile caused a reaction...

"You CAN'T throw that toy out!! I love that toy...I promise I'll play with it!!"

So we compromised. The toy wreath was the solution...she gets to keep her toys and I get them up and out of the way. And I love the way it turned out. What a great way to bring new life to all those cast away toys!!! (so much more fun than tossing them out)

Do I have too much time on my hands? Perhaps.

So this is what I did.

I grabbed the box of "junk"...

Picked up a wreath at the Dollar Store.

And went to work. Just me and the hot glue gun...and Bailey to supervise.

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Warning: Your child is NOT going to want to let go of ANY toys...it may be best to do this while they are not sitting right next to you!!!

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I got A LOT of these looks!

"not that toy!!!" **the entire time w/ her hands on her hips**

So, after about 20 minutes of gluing and placing, and several conversations reminding B how she has a million other toys and never plays with any of these....it was finished.

Here is my helper Bailey with her new toy wreath...still not 100% convinced that she isn't going to miss these toys....

And I LOVE the way it turned out!!!!

Doesn't it make such a fun greeting for a playroom!!!!!

Oooh Ooooh Oooh... and since parties are always on my brain, wouldn't it make a cute decoration for a Toy Story Party!!?!?!?

What do you call this???

What should I call this?? Technically speaking it is a cupcake (its a cake in a cup) so maybe thats just what I should call it. :)

My neighbor's daughter is going off to school (The University of Auburn) and I wanted to send a little good luck sweet thing along with her. I found these Auburn Tervis Tumblers and they got me thinking...how can I spice these up???

So this is what I did....

I got a couple of cupcakes...

Started off with a dolip of frosting at the bottom of the cup....

Cut one of the cupcakes in half and dropped it in...

Then I alternated between cake and icing until the cup was filled...

YUMMY right?

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You know you want to take your finger and swipe the top of that!! I know this b/c I had 2 little girls and 1 husband who wouldn't stop begging me to do just that! (and, I have to admit...maybe I wanted to as well) ;)

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Wrap it up and stick a fork in it!! (in this case, orange for Auburn)

And there you go...a "cup" cake!! (or cake in a cup, whatever you want to call it) :)

One for the college girl and another one for her baby sister who is NOT thrilled with the fact that big sister is leaving! :(

Cupcake Stand Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Remember those cute little cupcake stands I posted a few weeks ago?? If not, click here.

Well, I promised a cupcake stand tutorial so here it is. :) These are easy to make that I feel silly even posting a tutorial for it!!!

OK, here goes...

Get yourself a wooden candle stick and paint it whatever color your heart desires. They come in all different heights. I found mine in the unfinished wood section at Hobby Lobby.

Then get a round platter. Again, I found this one at Hobby Lobby. Also, in the wood section they sell all different size wood rounds if you wanted to go w/ painted wood as your top.

For this stand I used a little porcelain platter and thread some ribbon through the holes around the edge. This one is a little different than the others I made. I love this top b/c you can switch out the ribbon to coordinate with whatever colors/theme you're using. :)

Grab some glue....

Apply glue to the top of the candle stick...

Flip the platter over and stick the candle stick to the back. Make sure to center the candle stick in the center of the round top.

Let the glue dry and VOILA!! You have yourself a cute little cupcake stand. :)

I want to give a special thanks to my assistant apprentice, 4 year old Bailey Marie Petronis, who made the adorable cupcake featured on today's cupcake stand. Thank you sweet baby.

Together, one day you and I are going to do big things!!! ;)

Sooooooo, DA DA DA DA, along with this tutorial I would like to announce a GIVEAWAY!!! I will be giving away a cupcake stand to one lucky reader of my blog, you choose which style!! :)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with your favorite cupcake stand photographed below. You have until the day I turn 29 to leave a comment...

(that day is also known as Monday July 26, 2010). :)

I will be randomly choosing the winner on my birthday. Good luck!!! :)