7 Links to Love this Friday!

Some weeks only a few posts that I find awe-inspiring cross my path. This week dozens and dozens did. Of course it doesn’t help that I didn’t do a Link Love last Friday and there were a bunch from last week that I wanted to share today. There are so many in fact that I started pulling some out of my Link Love list so I can create an entire post around each individually. And then I took out the millions of wedding blog posts I love because they would overrun this list (I still included a few, don’t worry!).

So without any further adieu… here’s the edited short list of amazingess you can find online this week!

Starting with STRONGBOW CIDER cupcakes from Cupcakes Take the Cake! I am a huge fan of hard cider. To be more specific I’m a Bulmers girl (though I will settle for the English/US version Magners). It became my drink of choice while living in Ireland (and is also to thank in part for the 30 extra pounds I gained) and remained my drink once I returned Stateside. Basically Hard Cider + Cupcakes = Culinary Genius!

Contest: Mahir Designs from Southern Weddings: Mahir Designs has a line of wedding accessories that are to die for (yeah… I said to die for… it works). I love love love these images. I want to blow them up and put them on my wall as art, but pretty sure I could never convince A. of that.

Inspiration Daily 9.02.10 from Creature Comforts: And speaking of art, I love this image from Inga Birgisdottir. In fact, I would also like to hang this one the wall.. well really I would like to hang the geese and mustaches without the hand. Further fact, I would like to hang it over my mantle. It’s awesome.

Rifle Paper Co on Epheriell Designs: Have you not met Rifle Paper Co before? They are the creators of some of the most lovely wedding invitations (who strongly influenced my own wedding invitations). This is yet another beautiful pieace of art that I want to put in my imaginary nursery. So so so cute!

Real Parties: LumberJack and Jill’s Couple Wedding Shower from Hostess with the Mostess: I love couple showers (wedding, baby, you name it) and I love showers with a unique theme. When else do you get to have a lumberjack themed party? You have to click on this link and check out all the photos because it’s just amazing. I wish I was invited… I think I may need to start throwing myself themed birthday parties…

Dalton Ghetti from Design*Sponge: This guy went VIRAL this week, but isn’t so cool? I must have filling my walls on the brain because all I want to do is frame this beauties in a shadow box and plop them up on the wall so I can scare at them all day. 1) I wouldn’t have the patience 2) I wouldn’t have a steady enough hand 3) I know I would break it as soon as I was done. Check out the post though because it also shows other pencil lead carvings.

Wreaths from a Room Somewhere: Okay, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon. I used to hate Yarn Wreaths. Truly hate, I’d look at them and be repulsed. Truly repulsed. Then I saw one I liked and thought, okay I like that one only. That’s the only good one. Then I came across this post from the wonderful Leslie and thought, ooh these are great and would be beautiful on the dutch door in my hallway… Officially. On. Bandwagon. Love em.

Okay “That’s All” today. Click on them all and share anymore you have! HAVE A HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!

PS: Don’t forget the holidays are right around the corner and kitchen accessories from Curry Kay Designs (now with potholders) make great gifts! Wouldn’t it be amazing to have your holiday shopping done in September?

New Cupcakey Goodness!

This past weekend I had a run on cupcakes… seriously. In two days I sold out of all my dishtowel sets! I took it as a sign that people like the cupcakes and printed up a bunch more! I’ll be listing them all over the next couple of days but here are two that are in the shop right now (click to go to the listing)!

Hey Monday!

Okay, this is not a normal “Inspiration Monday” post. I had one all lined up. I wrote it on Thursday before starting my lovely vacation at Cape Cod. However, my post scheduler wasn’t working so I didn’t even try to schedule it… yet I come back to find the one post I errantly scheduled to have posted. But I digress.

I also came back to other goodies that made me oh-so-happy!

First up: I was included in another Etsy Storque article! Here’s a quick peek!

Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth: I was included in lovely lovely treasuries! Click on them all and show the wonderful curators some love!

Lastly: I was looking through my analytics and found I had a bunch of hits from CupcakesTakeTheCake blog. A little hunting found this gem… they included my cupcake dishtowels and Merrion tote in their roundup! (It was a big weekend for my dishtowels!)

I should go on vacation more often!

Lovely Gifts for the Cupcake Lover

I had a wonderful first day with my shop so thank you to everyone! My kitchen goods make perfect gifts (if I do say so myself) so I thought I would design a Gift Giving Collection around two of the pieces and more specifically my cupcake design! So if you have a cupcake lover/ cupcake baker/ cupcake enthusiast in your life (or you are one yourself) then you may find a gem for them in here!(Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Ceramic Straberry Pink Cupcake Cookie Jar from fruitflypie’s shop on Etsy: How sweet is this? Plus the combination of cupcake and cookies is genius!

Dish Towel- Green with Red Cupcake (Set of 2) from CurryKayDesign’s Shop on Etsy: Of course I’m slightly partial to these! The combination of heather green linen and dark reddish pink ink is one of my favorites!

Tiny Cake Stand… yellow ruffle cupcake plate from vesselsandware’s shop on Etsy: Love love this and perfectly sized for a cupcake!

Keep Calm and Bake on, 13 x 19 Print Powder Pink (Buy 3 and get 1 Free) from Keep Calm Shop’s shop on Etsy: Everybody needs a little kitchen art!

Mangolicious Delight Cupcake Dessert plates Quartet- 4 small plates – Wobbly Plates Series by atelier’s BB shop on Etsy: These are so gorgeous. Make sure to click this link to see the patterns on each.

Darla Boo from 4CupcakesSake’s Shop on Etsy: If you have been following my blog you know my fascination with food sold on Etsy and this is no exception. The cupcake comes in a jar to your doorstep. It’s the sweetest idea!

Vintage Cloche with Glass Pedestal, Plate, Shabby Chic, Cottage, Soaps, Cupcakes, Display by Bornanoldsoul’s Shop on Etsy: When you spend so much time decorating the perfect cupcake you want to show it off a little…. and now you can!

The Molly Apron – Yellow with Red Cupcake from Curry Kay Design’s Shop on Etsy: Again I’m biased… but this is one of my favorite aprons!

Cupcake Recipe Cards (Letterpress) from vermilionstarpress’ Shop on Etsy: Ahhh my love of letterpress and cupcakes finally merge. These are beautiful recipe cards (and I wouldn’t mind taking the cake behind it too!)

Sneak Peek… Introducing the Lexi!

All of my products (with the exception of the dish towel) are named after important ladies in my life. This apron is named after my fabulous sister-in-law Lexi! June 1st can’t come soon enough!

Something Lovely for Your Cupcake

Cupcakes are one of those fabulous desserts that automatically bring me back to my childhood. We didn’t have cupcakes often, or ever really, but that’s probably why it’s all the more special. I remember so clearly the anticipation of bringing in a tray full of cupcakes to my elementary school classes on my birthday. My mom and I would labor the night before over the perfectly baked chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting and multi-colored sprinkles in a silver wrapper. We would place them carefully on a baking sheet and tent the tinfoil over them with toothpicks (why did anyone think that was a good idea?). When it was time for the great unveiling in class, the cupcakes were always squished to one side with all the frosting and sprinkles smooshed on the tinfoil. It didn’t matter though. It was still the most delicious thing to happen to the 3rd grade.

If only I had access to the wonderful world of Cupcake accessories that are available now! Cupcake carriers, patterned wrappers, laser cut wrappers, cupcake picks and pre-made flowers. My classmates wouldn’t know what hit them!

To start with I would absolutely need to change up my choice of wrapper. While the silver is dignified and elegant I want something that screams CELEBRATION!!! Here are some beauties that you can now get for your own culinary delights:

(Left to Right, Top to Bottom):

Polka Dot Assortment Baking Cups from the Confectionery House: I have a love of all things polka dots and these are no exception!

High Tea Fuschia and Gold Baking Cups from Bake It Pretty: Damask cupcake wrappers! How gorgeous are these? I can just imagine a chocolate cupcake with a dark chocolate ganache filling these beauties.

Pretty in Plaid from Bake It Pretty: The absolute perfect option for a summer picnic. I would need to mound these cupcakes with fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Houndstooth from Bake It Pretty: We’ve hit on polka dot, damask and now houndstooth. All my favorite fabrics turned into cupcake liners! These are ready for the ultimate preppy cupcake (not sure yet what that would be!)

Fluted Flower Baking Cups from Bake It Pretty: I love the unexpected shape of these simple wrappers!

Sweet Spot Baking Cups from Bake It Pretty: A twist on the polka dot wrapper!

Pink Peacock from Bake It Pretty : I have a growing infatuation with all things peacock (I think it’s the beautiful mix of colors). These are stunning! Iridescent pink and peacock.. Could I ask for more?

Mary Tartan from Bake It Pretty: Last but not least, the tartan plaid. A perfect winter alternative to the typical Holly printed liner. Looks like it needs a whisky spiked cheese-cupcake in there.

Now just time to convince A. that I need all of these pronto!