Too Many Cupcakes = A Serious Sweet Tooth!

Okay, so a couple weeks ago, I confessed that I was going to start going to the gym, due to my affection for cupcakes and all things sweet. I have to admit now that I went that one day and it was so traumatic for my children that I haven't been back yet. We were getting ready for our vacation, and I wasn't ready to make the commitment of training my kids to hang out for an hour with the crazy, screaming children. However, I promise, I will go back and they will be trained someday.

On another note, I visited my dentist today. I really didn't want to, (who wants to go to the dentist?), but I was forced to. My husband recently left his job with the homebuilder that he has worked for the last eight years, (more on this exciting news later!) which meant that our dental coverage would no longer exist as of July 1st. Hence, the June 30th appointment. What can I say, I'm busy! Well, luckily my appointment was in the morning because my dentist broke the news to me that I have 7 new cavities. It's only been a year since I've been! Not like the last time when I had like 10 cavities and I hadn't been in five years! Ugh. Since the insurance was running out today, I had to go back this afternoon and get ALL 7 cavities taken care of. Fun. Really fun. I do have to say though, my dentist's office does everything possible to make you comfortable while they chisel away at your teeth! I was cuddled up in a super soft blankie watching "He's Just Not That Into You", during the whole process. Without the movie, I would have been going insane...all the buzzing...scraping....sorry, I'll stop.

Afterwards, since I could barely move my face, I had an Oreo milkshake for dinner. Isn't that fitting? What can I say...I have a serious Sweet Tooth!

Speaking of Sweet Tooth, have you heard of "The Sweet Tooth Fairy" bake shop in Utah? If you read NieNie (if you don't, you should), you know about this shop. Check out their delightful desserts HERE! One day, I hope to eat something from there, rather than just look at it. Yum.

P.S. Could their logo be any cuter?!?

Happy Customers: Miss Viv loves Paris!

A few months ago, I introduced you to little Miss Viv! Viv was a custom frame I made for an Etsy customer, Becky who was in the process of decorating her daughter's room in a Paris theme! Becky has shared her fabulous room photos with me, and all of the darling details she put into this room! My favorites are shown above, but to view more photos & details, visit her blog HERE!

This reminds me of this fabulous black/white/pink party I posted awhile back! Ooh...la...la!{via HMTM}

Cupcake Monday: 4th of July Cupcakes!

One of my loyal blog followers, Jessica emailed me these adorable cupcakes that are perfect for the 4th of July! She found them on another blog she follows, inchmark. Brooke, the blog author of inchmark, was a former art director for Martha Stewart (lucky girl)!

See more photos & directions HERE

I also thought I'd share with you a few photos I took last year on the 4th of July! We were visiting our good friends in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Marblehead is a beautiful town on the water, outside of Boston. It was a perfect place to celebrate the 4th. Practically every house was adorned with patriotic flare, which is something you just don't see here in Arizona!

Sneak Peek: Pickles & Ice Cream Baby Shower!

My sweet customer, Jessie just sent me some fabulous pictures of her Pickles & Ice Cream baby shower! I made lots of fun items for her shower and can't wait to share them with you this week! Stay tuned....

Birthday Parties: My Little Beach Boy!

My little Tommy turned four a few weeks ago, and everyone had a great time at his "Beach Boy" Party! Having a birthday party in June in Arizona means an indoor party or a swim party! Every year we end up doing a big summer splash party for his birthday. This year, I decided on a palm tree/beach theme! I was quite busy with Etsy orders, but of course I made time to make create some goodies for Tommy's party!

You won't be surprised that I pulled out my favorite cupcake stand, yet again! I made cupcake toppers with the colors, font and palm tree graphic I created from the invitation! I baked white & devils food cupcakes and topped with my favorite whipped white frosting. I bought blue & green sugar sprinkles to match the rest of the party decor! I placed a couple of leis around the base of the stand to add to the tropical feel. I found the cute blue/green luau plates, napkins & lanterns at Michaels.
For party favors, I purchased beach toy baskets and created personalized tags for each party guest! I made the "Happy Birthday" banner with a Cricut machine, and handcut the palm trees on the ends! I found the perfect Palm Tree pinata at Walmart, and made personalized stickers for the candy bags!

My friend, Tina from Live.Love. Photography took amazing photos of all the fun and party decor! As you can see, the kids had a great time!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW!

Cupcake Monday: Brownie Cupcake LOVE!

I love cupcakes! I love brownies! These were meant for me!

Aren't these adorable? Courtesy of Martha, of course!

Find them HERE!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the daddys out there! Especially to my wonderful husband and my wonderful father! I love you both!

Looking forward to.....

...... escaping the Phoenix heat, enjoying the fam, swimming, mini-golfing, reading some magazines, maybe a book (twilight finally?), sleeping, maybe getting a massage........I'm so ready! Are you jealous yet?

Sneak Peek: Little Birdie Twin Boys Baby Shower!

As I mentioned previously, my childhood best friend, Margie is pregnant with twin boys! We recently reconnected on Facebook, and she discovered my new creative venture! She hired me to design the invitations and cupcake toppers for her "Little Birdie" twin boy themed baby shower, and she took it from there! She just sent me some fabulous photos of all the details and I will be sharing them here, as soon as I can get them all downloaded! You are in for some crafty, creative fun! She also wrote up all of the sources for everything she made, including recipes....so stay tuned!



Also, I hope she doesn't mind, but I stole this self-portrait she took of herself from her flickr page! Isn't it amazing? She's 16 weeks preggo with twins in this shot.

I LOVE ETSY: Silhouettes by Le Papier Studio

New Weekly Feature: I LOVE ETSY!

When I first started blogging, I had a photo on my sidebar of this fabulous print that my friend, Meredith sent me! It was a thank you gift for some invitations that I made for her. I absolutely fell in love with it, along with all of Le Papier Studio's other items!

When I visited the Le Papier Studio shop, it was one of my very first visits to Etsy! Now after a few months as a seller, I live on Etsy and absolutely LOVE all of the handmade goods available there. I have decided to add a weekly feature that will highlight an Etsy shop!

Tommy & Kate's print as an example in her shop! See it HERE!

I also LOVE this little ballerina girl silhouette! As you know, I love tutus! I hope to use it in the future for one of Kate's birthday parties!

Follow-up: Too Many Cupcakes....

Thank you for all of the encouragement! I did make it to the gym, but not in time for the 9:30 class that I had hoped to take. Good thing though, because about 30 minutes into my rendezvous the treadmill, a girl from the childcare room came to rescue me. Apparently, my children don't do well in a room full of 100+ screaming, running, crazy children. I don't blame them, I wouldn't do well either. After they both stopped hyperventilating, (actually Kate didn't stop until she cried herself to sleep in the car), we ventured on to a fun afternoon swimming with friends. Whew.....rough morning.

One more reason against me to go to the gym. Don't worry though, I will win. Not today, but I'll try again tomorrow. Wish me (them) luck.

{photo via inmagine}

Too Many Cupcake Mondays = Time for the Gym!

If you read this blog, you know that I have an affection for sweets. Every other post is about cupcakes or candy, right? Well, the kids finished up their swim lessons last week, so we are starting a new schedule today that includes visiting the GYM. I'm scared. It's been a LONG time....long, as in my last workout was in 2007. We were in a good routine back in '07, until an old man drove his car right into mine. Luckily I drive an SUV, (which was totalled) and the kids and I weren't injured severely. However, it threw a wrench in my commitment to the gym.....and it's finally time to get going again. Like I said, I'm scared. I am nervous to go get in my gym clothes right now. I am probably writing right now because I am stalling.....but hey...if I ever want to look good in these (see above)...I better get started!

Before I go....I think I'll go sneak one of those cupcakes I made yesterday.....

Cupcake Monday: Monogrammed Cupcakes by Betty

{image via betty}

Hello my friends! Happy Monday! Today's post is brought to you by one of my favorite ladies in the kitchen, Miss Betty Crocker! Don't these look delicious? I am a sucker for anything personalized, so the monograms really caught my attention! That glossy smooth chocolate frosting? I'm ready to learn how to do that! Oh, and did I mention these are filled with a frosting/marshmallow cream filling? Can you say "yummy"?

View full recipe and instructions HERE!

We were at Dylan's party yesterday, and a friend asked for my favorite cupcake recipe, and to her surprise, I told her my cupcakes are always from a BOX! (Sorry if I'm disappointing my followers who bake, but it's the truth!) However, my BOX of choice is Betty Crocker Super Moist in White or Devils Food. My secret for deliciousness is slightly undercooking the cupcakes (by a minute or two), to keep them moist! My favorite frosting is Betty Crocker Whipped in Fluffy White! The texture and color remind me of a soft serve vanilla ice cream cone, especially when topped with my favorite CakeMate rainbow sprinkles!

I made a box today with the kids, and when my husband came home, he said "Why did you make all those cupcakes?" My reply, "...because the kids wanted to?" :) :) :) I forgot to mention I whispered in my son's ear..."do you want to help me make cupcakes?!"

TomKat LOVE!

{print and photo via madebygirl}

I spend a ton of time reading blogs, probably TOO MUCH time and TOO MANY blogs (check out my reading list). But, I just came to the conclusion that reading my favorite blogs is like sitting down with a magazine that is FULL to the brim with exactly what I want to read. There are so many great ideas and inspiration out there, I don't want to miss anything!

It makes me happy that people are reading my blog, too! I was checking out my Google Analytics account and noticed a huge spike in traffic on June 4th, which was odd since I was on vacation! I looked into where all the traffic was coming from, and it was when Kate's Lollipop party was featured on Tip Junkie! This is a great blog that compiles all sorts of "tips" from around the web, so you can get groupings of great party ideas, products, crafts, and more! Check out the mention HERE!
I got the goosebumps when I read what Jackie from Brides & Babes had to say about me and my business. Unbelievably sweet! Read the post HERE! Then she went on to post additional items from my shop HERE! She has great taste and picked some of my favorites!


Amy posted my cupcake toppers on her BLOG the other day! She is the co-founder of I Heart Faces, a very popular photography blog! Check out her post HERE!


Thank you fellow bloggers for all the LOVE! XOXO, Kim

Tommy's Beach Boy Party - Sneak Peek!

Our little kahuna's 4th birthday party was this past weekend! Everyone had a great time! Lots of fun, swimming, sliding & treats! Enjoy this sneak peek photo of my infamous cupcake stand, decked out in a tropical theme! Lots more photos to follow!

{photo by live.love photography}

Sweet Customers: Caden's Cupcake 1st Birthday Party!

Amy contacted me though Etsy to create her son, Caden's first birthday party package! She loved my Sweet Cupcake collection, but needed it in boy colors! I also created coordinating custom cd labels, for the party favors! It looks like the party turned out great! Caden's cupcake birthday outfit was adorable! What a cute family!

I must say I am so pleased with the items you made for Caden's birthday. They are so perfect and I have gotten so many compliments already on the invitations. I just cant wait to show off the rest of it on the big day. Thanks so much for your attention to detail and incredible creativity. I will definitely be using you in the future! And I'll keep up with all your new stuff on your blog. Thanks Kim! You're AWESOME!!!! ~ Amy

See my CUPCAKE COLLECTION for boys here!

Happy Birthday Tommy!

Four years ago today, a little angel entered the world and my life was changed forever. My, how time flies. Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! I love you with all of my heart.

Cupcake Toppers: By the hundreds....

I've been making a TON of cupcake toppers lately! I finally pulled some photos off my camera today, and thought I'd share some of my latest with you!

This first set, I just love! These were custom designed for a baby shower! It was Jen's idea to use the due date on one of the designs....and I love it! The colors are so fun, I hope she shares some shower photos!

This set is from my Sweet Cupcakes Collection, but with customized colors! Love the Tiffany blue, pink & brown together! Also, how cute is the name Harlow?
I just completed my largest cupcake topper request today! (100) These were custom designed with fun, bright colors and a cupcake logo provided by the customer! Sounds like little miss Pia is having quite a party!

Now....where are the yummy cupcakes to go along with these? I need a midnight snack!

Crafty Diva: Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party!

My friend, Thuy recently hosted this fabulous 1st birthday party for her son, Parker! Though I am not big on character parties (or clothing for that matter! ;), she really shows that it can be done in a classy, creative fashion!

Thuy is one of the craftiest girls I know! She is the one who made Kate's fab memo board, along with all sorts of other handmade items whenever anyone has a birthday or baby shower! Thuy also came to the rescue when my Etsy orders went crazy last month and assembled 100+ lollipop invitations for me! She's thinking about launching her own Etsy shop now, and I can wait to see what she offers!

She really did an amazing job with all of the details for Parker's party! Of course, my favorite was the decorated cupcake stand, and I have to claim that I inspired that one! (See HERE) The actual cupcakes were so perfectly decorated as the characters from the show. (Kate really enjoyed them....see above!) Thuy also decorated bags for each party guest, and inside was a custom made t-shirt/tank with a Yo Gabba Gabba character ironed on. (I wish I had a picture to show you!) She knew I wouldn't be too excited for a huge Foofa on Kate, so she put a little one on the ruffled neckline of a tank and it's super cute! On the first collage, I made the gift card with Muno & "Parker" and attached it to his gift bag!

She made a really cute Muno cake for the birthday boy to dive into! Although we left before the "Pin the Eyeball on Muno", what a cute idea! Right? For the invitations, she used 12 photos, one from each month of the birthday boy's first year!

These fabulous photos were taken by her sister, my friend, Tina with Live.Love. Photography. Tina also took pictures at Tommy's beach party this weekend....and I am anxiously waiting to see how they turned out!

Cupcake Monday: Mini Ice-Cream Topped Cupcakes

Happy Monday, my lovelies! Courtesy of Martha, these little mini cupcakes are adorable and perfect for a summer birthday party! Yummy!

Where in the World Am I?

{photo via yvetteinufio}

I'm on vacation! We just returned from a "staycation" at a local resort with a fabulous water park! It was a quick few days, but much needed!

I miss the blogging world....but I vowed to "unplug" until Monday. I had to take a little peek at my blog reader...but only let myself indulge in the fun for 30 minutes. (okay, an hour....) But I am no where near caught up with all the blogs I follow.

I've been crafting today for Tommy's Birthday Party, which is Saturday. Another reason I needed to "unplug"....poor guy wouldn't have any party decorations if mommy didn't shut off the other mommies who need party stuff! ;) Gotta keep the priorities straight! (not that I don't love my customers!)

Be back Monday (if I can resist until then), with T's party and more!

Do you miss me?

Miss you,
XOXO,
Kim

Sweet Customers: Josie's Sweet 1st Birthday Party!

My favorite part of creating party supplies and running my shop, is meeting other crazy, detail-oriented, party-obsessed mommies! This customer, Kara is one of my favorites! She was so excited about all of the details of her daughter, Josie's 1st birthday party and shared lots of great ideas with me. She is the customer who sent me the link to Navy Sou's post about her daughter's amazing sweet party! She had her bakery duplicate the cake from the post, and we updated the colors on my "Oh Lollipop" inviations to match the bright colors of the cake!

Kara was kind enough to send me these photos from the party! She did such a fabulous job on all of the party details! I love the bright gerbera daisies arrangements with lollipops! She found bright colored lanterns, which are so festive hanging outside! (a tip that I just read: if you can't find the right colors, buy white lanterns, dilute food coloring and paint it on!) Kara purchased Josie's custom made lollipop outfit from Liliputians NYC! So adorable!

Thank you for sharing, Kara and fabulous job on the party!

PS. Thanks for your patience on the custom frames! I will get them done soon!