Gnome Sweet Gnome {cupcakes}

Well it was that time again, my son's turn to bring in a treat to school.  The last time it was his turn, we brought in healthy, skim-milk cheese strings and fruit.  This time, unhealthy but delicious cupcakes!

Since it was the beginning of spring, I settled on something from the garden ~ gnomes!

These cute little guys were made from fondant and coated in candy melts.

Their hats are candy coated bugle corn snacks :)

I piped on royal icing for their beards and food-coloring marker for the eyes.

I loved how they turned out! 

Then I made spring garden cupcakes, with spring-green {buttercream} grass, {candy sprinkle} flowers, and mini toadstools made from micro-marshmallows and fondant caps {with royal icing dots}.

Baked in bright, spring-colored, ruffled cupcake liners.

Didn't they turn out super cute?

And speaking of cupcakes,

if you have to transport a few dozen to a classroom or party,

You MUST get one of these...

It's called the Cupcake Courier,

and mine holds 36 cupcakes securely.

No more fumbling with cheap, cardboard bakery boxes or tupperware.

This thing ROCKS!
I bought mine on Amazon.com.

Gnome sweet Gnome cupcakes.

The perfect way to welcome the new season :)

Happy Spring

Spooky Graveyard Cupcakes

We're getting ready for Halloween at our house!

I love this time of year...

All of the spooktacular decorations, the candy, the fun!

No matter what time of year, there's always something yummy baking in the oven.
I never need a reason to get creative in the kitchen, and these little treats were no exception!

SpOoKy GrAveYard CuPcaKes!!

Aren't these super cute?!

I made them for my son's school Halloween party...

Ghoulishly delicious devil's food cupakes

With eerie sugar cookie tombstones,

candy pumpkins, fondant skulls and ghosts.



These cupcake liners have a surprise greeting when you turn them over.

Trick -or- Treat!

I accented my wire tiered tray with real, preserved oak leaves.

Decorating for each holiday can easily get expensive,

but by re-using things you already have on hand,

things you find in nature, and things you can make inexpensively like my cheesecloth ghosts,

you can give your house a spectacular and festive touch without breaking the bank.

We'll be watching Halloween specials this weekend,

and getting ready for trick-or-treating on Monday.

Are you all ready for the little ghosts and goblins that will coming to your door?

Happy Halloween!

Preschool Cupcakes

Because my son's birthday is on Saturday, he was the "snack leader" at his preschool this morning.  OK, I admit, as a mommy that can bake - this was about the most fun I've ever had coming up with something CUTE!  

I promised my husband though that I wouldn't go overboard...so, I took a few short cuts to save myself time/work.  First, I used a store bought cake mix.  I also used store bought frosting (hey, no sense in re-inventing the wheel, right?! The fun part is the decorating!)

Then, to make them adorable, I had to think of something simple that would create a big impact on little ones...and the answer was so EASY!  Since my son's party is an art-theme, crayons were the logical choice!

So I made fondant crayons as cupcakes toppers!  And to save myself more time, I alternated the crayons with fondant apples (with tootsie rolls cut into slivers for stems).  I added a little icing leaf on the apples to make them look a little more authentic). 

And I have to give a shout out for my cupcake liners - love them!  They're the new Reynolds "StayBrite" cupcake liners that don't fade once they're baked.  They held up remarkably well and gave the cupcakes a little extra pizazz!  

 

 

Little leaf confetti sprinkled on for fall and back-to-school time!

The little ones and their parents were "Oooooing" and "Ahhhhing" this morning as they peeked in the bakery box to see the snack. They were deciding what color fondant crayon they'd choose or whether they wanted an apple instead :)   

I can't wait to hear how they kids enjoyed their fluffy little school-time snack as they say their daily prayer...

God is Good,

God is Great,

Let us thank Him,

For our snack.

Hope you enjoyed your little peek! :)