Here is a super easy Easter centerpiece idea!
Here's all you need: Mini cupcakes (make your own or buy plain iced ones from your favorite bakery), pastel sprinkles, pretty Easter candies. easter grass or paper shred, and a cake pedestal! I found the pretty sprinkle mix and cake pedestal at my local Homegoods.
Just place your cupcake on top of the Easter grass and fill in with the candies! So simple, but it makes quite an impact on your Easter table!
Happy Saturday!
xo
Jessica
The husband and I recently celebrated our anniversary with a little get-a-way to NYC. My sweet little sis surprised us by having a beautiful (and delicious) cake from the Buttercup Bakeshop delivered to our hotel. As you can tell by those pretty pastels, she knows me well. :-)
If you haven't yet made it to The Buttercup Bakeshop, I highly recommend it. It's a lovely bakery with a decidedly old-fashioned vibe. The cupcakes are yummy...
But they have lots of cakes, puddings, and pies as well. And they know the importance of really good sprinkles.
So, if you are in the neighborhood, check it out!
Buttercup Bakeshop, NYC
973 2nd Avenue
(Btwn 51st & 52nd st)
New York, NY 10022
(212) 350-4144
[email protected]
XOXO
Jessica
The Cherry Blossoms here in the D.C. area have been very, very slow to bloom this Spring - resulting in a great many disappointed tourists (and residents!). And even though we were skeptical of reports that they would finally be at peak bloom this past weekend, we took our chances yesterday and headed down to the Tidal Basin for our family's annual Cherry Blossom picnic.
Honestly, the blossoms still had a way to go. A few trees were displaying all their puffy, pink gorgeousness, but most were only partially in bloom. We truly didn't mind though because the weather was absolutely perfect - sunny, warm and breezy. Now, typically, in an effort to beat the crowds, we head down early in the morning for a breakfast picnic, but this time we decided to try something different - an evening picnic! And I am so very happy we did. That late afternoon/early evening light was just so beautiful - it was truly rather magical.
After a proper picnic dinner of fresh turkey and brie sandwiches, a layered vegetable salad with a lemon vinaigrette (served in mini mason jars), and fresh fruit, I set out our dessert...
As always, I like to make things extra festive by bringing along items like real vintage china plates, tole trays for serving on, and vintage floral tablecloths. I also like to bring my own fresh flowers - especially since picking the blossoms is strictly forbidden!
For dessert, there was something for everyone. Cupcakes for the girls...
With pink roses, of course.
Some more adult-like treats for the husband and myself - Italian candies and these yummy sugared almonds...
Mini mini-me even brought along some of her pretty prized M & M's (from Dylan's Candy Bar in L.A.) to share...
It was such a fun evening. We just sat by the water - watched as the ducks swam by and enjoyed our treats. Then, as we do every year, we took a bunch of family pictures and the girls climbed on the rocks and fountains at the FDR memorial.
When the sun started to fade, we packed everything up and headed back to the car. It was a lovely evening, but it was time to get home - the season premiere of Mad Men was starting in just an hour!!!
:-)
Jessica
Gourmet sprinkles are truly a glorious thing, but sometimes even I just want some regular, old-fashioned sprinkles (jimmies?) to put on my ice cream. Mr. Sprinkles fits the bill!
He's a new discovery for me, but a friend tells me he's been around for a long, long time. Mr. Sprinkles' sprinkles are happy, tasty and colorful (they come in chocolate, too)!
I absolutely love them for everyday, real life treats! And to those of you who are afraid of clowns...I deeply apologize for this post. :-)
Happy Friday!
Jessica
I LOVE my huge glass jar filled with pretty cupcake cases, but truthfully, it had been getting a bit disorganized as of late. My wrapper collection had been growing and my jar wasn't getting any bigger, so something had to give. It was time for a little cupcake case organization.
I purged some oldies and added some new favorites.
I am happy with the result and, hopefully, I will be able to keep it this way for at least a few days. :-)
XOXO
Jessica
For me, a trip to Los Angeles is just not complete without cake. Yup, cake! And not just any cake either - it must be cake from Sweet Lady Jane.
Sweet Lady Jane is not your average bakery. Their cakes and baked goods are nothing short of incredible. In fact, National Geographic selected SLJ as the number one patisserie in the WORLD!
The cake selection is extensive.
Triple Berry Shortcake is my fav, but I also love the Old-fashioned Chocolate, the Coconut, and the Raspberry Lemon. And how can you not love a cake called "Princess"?
You can buy the cakes by the slice, so grab some friends and try a few different flavors.
They have beautiful cupcakes, too!
Sweet Lady Jane has two delicious locations - in West Hollywood and Santa Monica (right down the street from Shabby Chic!).
:-)
Jessica
Lately it seems that everyone in the blog-o-sphere is making desserts in jars, so today I am jumping on the band wagon. My family loves to picnic and I'm always trying to think of good desserts to bring along. The girls love cupcakes, but they are hard to transport and often end up getting smooshed. So, cupcakes in jars seem like the perfect portable solution!
I bought the clear glass jars at Micheal's for about a dollar each. These were just the right diameter (the opening needs to be able to comfortably accommodate a fork). This is a fun project to do with the kids and don't worry if they end up looking a little messy - you really can't go wrong when cake and frosting are involved. :-). I just baked up some cupcakes and sliced them in half. Depending on the size of your jar (and your preferred ratio of icing to cake), you'll need about one and a half cupcakes per jar. Simply alternate layers of cupcake with layers of icing until you reach the top of the jar. I also added some confetti sprinkles between each layer - for extra color and crunch!
End with a swirl of icing on top and a little decoration if you like (I used some icing roses). Then, seal them up and tie on a fork with some pretty ribbon and you're ready to go!
XOXO
Jessica
For a special Mother's Day treat, I combined two of my favorite things - cupcakes and Forget-me-nots...
Mini vanilla cupcakes iced with vanilla butter-cream and topped with lavender and periwinkle hued sugar-paste blossoms.
So pretty and delicious!
:-)
Happy Monday!
Jessica
Yes, it's back to the sweets! Lola's was a must-see on my list when we were in London. I already had their cookbook and, from the look of it, I just knew it would be my kind of place. And I was right...
This pretty shop has a modern edge that I love...
And their "hand-crafted" cupcakes are truly delicious.
Lots of flavors to choose from, too!
I'll be back tomorrow to share my little early morning adventure to Target yesterday to visit "The Shops"!
XOXO
Jessica
While in London, we went to the cutest cupcake shop ever...Primrose Bakery.
While I've been to Primrose in the past (and have both of their beautiful cookbooks), I never pass up a chance to visit. I especially love their location in Covent Garden. Situated on a lovely corner, the bright yellow bakery is so cheerful...
It's the perfect place to enjoy some delicious baked goodies. We love the yummy mini sprinkled cupcakes...
So many pretty toppings to choose from - sugar flowers, confetti, hearts, etc...
You can even pick up a pastel candy necklace or two...
The interior is absolutely adorable - vintage, shabby, and retro!
Gotta love the pink neon sign!
They also have a nice selection of fun gift items and pretty stationary...
Primrose is just such a bright and happy place to be - I can't wait to go back!
:-)
Jessica
