Wanna know what she’s having?  Click here for the big reveal and to see more pics of the party.

 In contrast the previous Tower, check out this vibrant display for a 40th birthday party (also Dawn’s creation).  Clearly a touch of ‘wild’ was intended here – I love it!

Proud Big Sister Grace!

Hungry Jack…

Needless to say it’s perfect timing to highlight yet another stunner that Carrie Metz of Sucre Dolce’ Bakehouse created with the help of her Cupcake Tower.  Check out this display she created for a ‘Let’s Help Get the Nest Ready’ themed baby shower with monkeys and owls.  Notice how Carrie uses the supports as a base, many of you write in asking if this is possible.  Not only is it possible but it gives the Tower a totally different look that we LOVE.

“The topper cake was a whimsical take on the invitation” says Carrie.  ”Chocolate cake with whipped peanut butter ganache filling, and peanut butter buttercream. (This is my favorite flavor combination on this earth at the moment, haha!) The cupcakes were white velvet cream with vanilla bean buttercream, and vanilla bean with cinnamon dolce buttercream.”   Honestly Carrie, YUM.

The favors for the shower were these super cute onesie cookies.  Thanks again for sharing Carrie!

To distract myself from possibly shampooing the carpets tonight (for my poor husband’s sake) I decided to continue my ‘nesting’ online instead…here’s what I came up with:

These pretty nesting bowls by Etsy seller dorothydomingo must be mine someday:

Martha Martha Martha…these are pretty stinkin cute:

These are too pretty to really use but then again, with real cocoa added how could you not?  This is just one of LoveLee Soaps ridiculously adorable creations (she makes ‘cupcake’ soaps too):

Lastly, this onesie brought a huge smile to my face as it reminds me of studying Russian from Jr. High through College.  The famous ‘Matroyshka’ or ‘Babushka’ nesting dolls couldn’t be cuter on this little bodysuit by trulysanctuary:

Happy Nesting to the rest of you!

 ”Pink and purple flowers accented with black make this combo so classy” states Heather Peterson of ‘Slice at a Time’.  Heather is a licensed Cake Artist located in Huntsville, AL and we just LOVE the beautiful work she has displayed on The Small Cupcake Tower shown in these pictures.

“The Present Cake is a dark chocolate cake covered in fondant with buttercream filling, and all fondant decorations. Cupcakes are milk chocolate mud cupcakes with buttercream topping and fondant decorations. Yummy!”

And here’s the spread:

So just about every ‘workday’ at Joy’s house during the first part of this pregnancy I made myself a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich so for the shower they made grilled cheese and tomato on triscuits – SO CUTE!   Then there were the deep fried pickle chips…I mean really, need I say more?  My sister Patti’s homemade mac and cheese, some bread with Tuscan Dipping oil, are you grasping the amount of ’salt’ that  I have ingested over the past 9 months?  LUCKILY for my ever swelling ankles, I have also craved fruit, particularly cutie oranges of which I can blindly eat three in 5 minutes and barely blink an eye.  CAN’T GET ENOUGH of the cutie oranges…

And of course, the ever present, ever fabulous Cupcake Tower.  Cupcakes were provided by ‘Lovely Confections Bakery’ and we indulged in ‘Bees Knees’ (Lavender Cake with Honey Lemon Buttercream), Vanilla with Chocolate frosting, Chocolate with Chocolate frosting and my favorite of the day the Carrot with Cream Cheese Frosting.  Most of her ingredients are organic and locally sourced so both yummy and good karma!

Here’s some more fun pics of the party:

Myself and Grace with her Grandma’s

My little cupcake:

Check out this gorgeous blanket made by my cousin-in-law Rose, she is SO talented.  She just so happens to have an Etsy Store ’RosesBloom‘ where she sells recycled yarn.  How cool is that?

and finally, Grace got to open a couple of gifts too and one of her favorites was a pack of ‘Big Girl’ panties…she couldn’t stop checking herself out!

I am so inspired by the vibrant yellow and fuchsia colors in this photo submitted by Carrie from Sucre’ Dolce Bakehouse.  She made it for a belated Valentine’s Party and stated ‘It’s the only time of the year I get to use pinks for anything to do with my boys, so I take full advantage! They were white chocolate cupcakes with organic raspberry preserve swirls throughout, topped with White Chocolate buttercream, heart sprinkles and the most beautiful plump organic red raspberries!’  Ohhhhh, yum.

Perhaps it’s my cabin fever (oh HURRY UP already Spring), or it could just be my love for dramatic colors but I’m inspired on several levels here…inspires me to want to decorate a room, throw a party or the most dangerous - go shopping.  Well since my budget this month is dedicated to blue, green and everything else that says ‘baby boy’ on the way I’ll just do some “window” shopping online here… 

I recently redecorated my daughters ‘nursery’ to convert it to a gender neutral ‘kids room’ using bright, bold colors and I LOVE the results.  However, I’m tucking this in the back of my mind for future inspiration (given that I get her approval…miss independent that she is at a wise old ‘2′).  I found this on ‘How Stuff Works’ in the article ‘How to Design Children’s Room’s’.

I found this Rosette Bobby Pin in the Etsy store Brydferth.  If these are your wedding colors this is so simple and pretty, what a cute bridesmaid gift idea.

The ‘Bridal Bar Blog‘ recently posted some beautiful photos (flowers by Peony & Plum, photos by John Martorano Photography) of a wedding done in Peony Pink, Pale Yellow, Fuchsia and Red.  Just gorgeous…

On a more whimsical note…these pinwheels found in Etsy shop Rule42 are a creative alternative to traditional bouquets.  How fun!

Now for one of those ‘just for the heck of it’ purchases check out this keychain from Etsy store ‘SewMuchDetail’.

Anyway, today we want to mark our 1 year ‘conception’ Anniversary with a nod to Lindsey, our very first customer who purchased her Tower from our Etsy store for her wedding.  Lindsey chose red ribbon detail which is still one of our more popular colors today.  Lindsey, you did us PROUD!  Thank you for sharing this photo.

Happy Anniversary to The Cupcake Tower.  I think I’ll go have a cupcake…

Ever since I received this photo of a Medium Tower from our customer Selah, owner of Nomelie Cupcakes in Parker, CO I seem to be noticing giraffe themes popping up everywhere (you know, the same way you buy a new car and suddenly everyone else on the road has one too!).   I love how she combined mini-cupcakes with regular.  My thought process of course is that one cupcake is never enough yet two cupcakes beg for heaps of guilt.  If the 2nd is a tiny though…1/2 the guilt!

Other guilt free indulgences might or might not include these adorable paper lanterns from World Market.   I first saw them on the phenomenal site ‘Hostess with the Mostess’ as she blogged about her ‘Mod Menagerie Baby Shower’

These giraffe sandwiches would surely evoke several ‘ooooh’ and ‘awwws’ just as they did from me.   Found on the site ‘Funky Lunch’ I couldn’t get enough of the gallery of cute creatures they’ve come up with.

Last but not least are these pacifier clips I found on the Etsy shop ‘Dots and Dashes Designs’ :

or these giraffe rattles, also on Etsy, by ‘Bundled’…SO CUTE!