Featured: DimeInk - Dime Defined

Joy Lee, the editor of DimeInk, interviewed me a few weeks ago. It was fabulous to be included as one of her dimes along with the likes of Justina Blakeney, Erika Hollinshead Ward, and Stevie K. Joy's questions ranged from the silly to the serious, which I loved.

A few of my favorite questions:

What's your favorite candy?

Who would portray you in a movie version of your life, and what songs are on the soundtrack?

Are you the woman your 10 yr old self wanted to be?

What words do you live by?

Check out the rest of the interview here, and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your answers to any of these questions.

Thanks so much, Joy! You were crazy enough to include me in such a great group of ladies, and I appreciate it.

(pics by Canary Grey)

Featured: Totally Target Halloween Dessert Table

Remember this Halloween dessert table I created a couple of years ago using only items I found at Target? The bloggers over at HGTV recently stumbled upon it and kindly featured it this week.

 Check out the HGTV post here and the full dessert table here. 

Featured: Brew-Haha Halloween Party Invites

Nole of Oh So Beautiful Paper kindly featured our A Splendid Party Brew-Haha Halloween invites last week. Here they are in all their spooky glory.

Of course, you can buy this invite and any other A Splendid Party printables here.

Featured: Cupcake

It's pretty obvious what eatery Cupcake's specialty is. The little Minneapolis cafe serves some of the most unique cupcakes around. They all have great names, so let's get to the drool-worthy pics.

 

Pina Colada - soaked in Malibu Rum

 

Global Warming - vanilla with flowers

 

Paris Hilton - for obvious reasons

 

Monkey Business - banana cupcake, caramel frosting, and chocolate ganache 

  

Betty Crocker - vanilla cake, pink frosting, and sprinkles. So pretty.

I've been lucky enough to work with Cupcake for a few events. Their Baby I Love Lucy vanilla cupcake is a flavorful, tiny classic that I go to again and again.

Check out their yummy cupcake menu.

Featured: Sugar and Flour

I recently came across the Sugar and Flour Etsy shop. Karen, the owner and baker, of Sugar and Flour is so warm and friendly that I wanted to share some of her designs with you.

 

  

 Be sure to check out more of Karen's cookie creations at her shop or her Flickr gallery.

Featured: Nevie Pie Cakes

I stumbled upon Natasha Collins' company, Nevie Pie Cakes, while doing a search for gingerbread houses, and found a treasure trove of painted desserts. Her award-winning, fondant-covered gingerbread houses are hand-painted with shabby chic designs that leave her creations less rustic and more sophisticated.

Natasha gave me a few tidbits about her entrance into the baking/painting world:

"I first made a gingerbread house last year for the Origins Eco House competition, which I won! Then I made one for the Brighton Open House exhibition. I love the cuteness of little houses and I have taken on birds and bird houses as something of a theme. I was a textile designer for nearly 12 years which is why I paint, my piping skills are terrible!"

I have a hard time believing that any of Natasha's dessert decorating skills are even slightly rusty, but I'll take her word for it. Did you notice the little bicycle, mailbox, and table and chairs with the second house? What about the composting pile and recycling bins in the first pic? That little house won the Origins Eco House competition that spurred Natasha to continue crafting tiny houses.

Check out Natasha's Flickr photostream and blog to see more of her designs.

Featured: Mary Had A Little Party

I love the cute, customized banners that Kristen from Mary Had A Little Party creates. A good banner creates the perfect backdrop for any dessert buffet by bringing interesting patterns and colors into what may be an otherwise monochromatic display. Banners also bring height to the overall design, which is much more appealing than a one-level display.

The 12 Days of Christmas banner is a new addition to Kristen's expanding collection, but I also love the sweetness of her custom photo banners.

Check out the Etsy shop to buy Kristen's designs online.

Featured: Sugarbloom Cupcakes

Tall Cupcakes

Louis Vuitton Bags & Wallet

Twins' Cake & Cupcake Tower

Bev Perry, the owner and baker of Perth, Australia's Sugarbloom Cupcakes, makes the most amazing cakes and cupcakes. Her attention to detail is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I had such a hard time narrowing down just a few of her creations to show you, but I encourage you to check out her full Flickr gallery.

Featured: Jack and Izzy

If you haven't discovered Etsy, you are truly missing out. One of my favorite shops, Jack and Izzy, features some great DIY options for the host(ess) who is short on time or crafty-talent. Designer and owner, Sarah, has created a DIY printable party pack that is simply chic.

You choose the color of the labels, the letter (or number for birthdays and anniversaries) style, and Sarah customizes the labels. You can use them for cupcake toppers, napkin rings, favor bag closures, invitations, and just about everything else. You get your personalized label on disc and reprint as many as you need for your event. It's an easy, inexpensive way to create a cohesive look for your own dessert table.

Featured: Sweet Merveilles

Sweet Merveilles is a Singapore based company run by two sisters. Zal and Ifah have been baking macarons for three years. In that short time, they have mastered the French delight. Zal engineers the baking, while Ifah creates the final designs. Their passion for creativity is evident in their artful designs that transform classic macarons into modern masterpieces.

Their macaron Christmas tree defies gravity, while the boxed macaron tower makes the perfect centerpiece for a DIY dessert buffet. I didn't even know that macarons could be made into shapes, but the sprinkled heart-shaped goodies would be sweet Valentine's treats. The rainbow macarons cake is very reminiscent of this Martha Stewart Weddings cake. This would be an inexpensive, yet elegant, way to cut the cost of your cake. A simple frosted or fondant-covered cake is elevated by the creativity of the colorful macarons.

Featured: Sweet Ambs Cookies

Amber Spiegel is an incredibly talented Chicago baker/cookie decorator. I first came across her while searching Etsy for cookies and was blown away by her creations. Her designs range from sophisticated monograms to Twilight and everything in between. She's like an evil sugar genius.
Check out her Sweet Ambs blog to see what she's cooking up now.