Black Forest Gingerbread house
Gingerbread

Black Forest Gingerbread house

This gingerbread house was inspired by a train ride through the Black Forest region of Germany. I remember the view from our train car vividly. There we so many lovely deer prancing through what appeared to be a magical forest. My husband thinks it looks like it came from a Wes Anderson movie, and that’s a compliment because all of his favorite movies are Wes Anderson.

Red Truck Gingerbead house
Gingerbread

Red Truck Gingerbead house

This gingerbread house is a whole mood. When I see it, I just imagine driving to a little cabin in the mountains where you can curl up with a warm blanket by a cozy fire, sipping a hot toddy and reading a good book. Who doesn’t want to escape the holiday hustle and bustle every once in a while. The red truck is so nostalgic and has become a favorite Christmas symbol. If I had a cabin like this, I would definitely want a classic vintage red truck to go with it!

Cuckoo clock gingerbread house
Gingerbread

Cuckoo clock gingerbread house

This gingerbread house is one of my favorites. Actually, probably my very favorite. It was inspired by a trip my husband and I took to Europe. This was before we had kids and we were strolling down the beautiful cobblestone walkways and browsing through all of the shops. We were in Germany and came across a beautiful little clock shop where I saw a gorgeous cuckoo clock that resembled this one.

Dainty Dogwood Cupcakes
Cupcakes

Dainty Dogwood Cupcakes

One of my favorite trees is the Dogwood tree. They have the most beautiful delicate blossoms and I love seeing them in bloom. Even though the gorgeous blossoms will only last for so long, you can enjoy these dainty Dogwood cupcakes year round! These little chocolate Dogwood blossoms are the perfect size for topping a cupcake, and floral decorations work for so many different occasions. I think these would be lovely with white frosting for a rustic wedding cupcake tower. As always I am a big fan of making chocolate decorations because they are tasty and can be made in advance, so on the days leading up to to your event all you have to worry about is perfecting your cupcake recipe and frosting.

Teddy Bear Cookies
Cookies

Teddy Bear Cookies

Don’t be alarmed that these teddy bears don’t have any faces! They are decorate-a-teddy-bear cookies, and are mean’t to be decorated with edible food pens. Ever since I decided to throw my son a teddy bear picnic party, I have been crazy about teddy bears. I thought these cookies would make a fun project for the kids to decorate at the party, and I really like that they can be made in advance and frozen. I made all of the teddy bear cookies in advance and froze them completely decorated. At party time, it was a cinch to pull them out and let them thaw. These cookies are guaranteed to bring a smile to your party guests, and even the parents will enjoy getting in on the decorating action!

Teddy Bear Cake Pops
Cakes | Chocolate

Teddy Bear Cake Pops

My son just turned two, and we had a teddy bear picnic themed party to celebrate! I wanted to make some extra special treats for the kids, and thought teddy bear cake pops would be perfect! I don’t have much experience with cake pops, so I stuck to the basics. I used store bought cake mix and frosting because I was short on time, and didn’t know how difficult this project would be. It turns out that cake pops are pretty easy and fun to make, so next time I won’t hesitate to branch out with different flavors and frostings.

Where the Wild Things Are Cake
Cakes

Where the Wild Things Are Cake

This is a very special cake that I made for my husband’s 30th birthday. The book, Where the Wild Things Are, is his favorite children’s book; and as you can probably tell, this cake was inspired by that beloved classic children’s story by Maurice Sendak. This cake is super detailed, and my husband had a lot to do with that. He loves designs that are very realistic, intricate, and detailed, and this cake is a perfect illustration of his style. The cakes I usually create are a bit more clean and simple, so I definitely made and exception for this one. But the bottom line is that you really want the recipient to love the cake, especially when it’s your husband!

Pirate Cupcake Kit
Cupcakes

Pirate Cupcake Kit

Throwing a pirate party, but too busy to make a cake? This pirate cupcake kit is the answer! Pirate parties are so much fun, and if you are short on time cupcake kits can make your party a cinch! Meri Meri has a whole line of cupcake kits, and this is one of my favorites. When I am in a pinch, and need a cute cupcake solution, these cupcake kits are my go-to. I made these cupcakes for my nephew’s second birthday.

Rocket Pop Cookies
Cookies

Rocket Pop Cookies

When my little boy turned one, I wanted to make his party extra special. I needed a way to make an extraordinary party with a little time. I love things that can be made in advance, and cookies are one of those things that add extra pizzazz to a party and can be made and stored easily. I found this rocket cutter, and I knew it would be perfect. I wanted these cookies to stand up so that they could be used as a standing element on a dessert table. I also wanted to package and give out the rest of the cookies as party favors.

First Communion Cake
Cakes

First Communion Cake

This is a cake that I made just last week for my goddaughter’s First Communion! First Communion is a pretty big deal, and I have never made a religious cake before, so I was a little bit stumped on the design. My goddaughter, Kylie, is such a wonderful, talented, beautiful little girl and I needed to make something extra special for her big day! Luckily Kylie let me know that she wanted the cake color scheme to be purple, pearl, and black! Gotta love a girl who knows what she wants! Such a sophisticated choice as well!

Circus Cake
Cakes | Chocolate

Circus Cake

So this is my favorite cake. Yep, it’s really my very favorite cake (that I have made). It is even more extra special to me because I made it for my nephew’s 1st birthday! I had been wanting to make a circus themed cake, and I had a picture of this one in my head long before I started. It all began when I found the retro chocolate molds for the animals on the cake. The adorable elephant, monkey, and seal chocolate figurines were calling my name and crying out to be part of a fun, cheerful circus cake!

The Great Cupcake
Cakes

The Great Cupcake

I am a sucker for a fun cake pan, and this Great Cupcake Pan has been calling my name for quite some time. In spite of my efforts to be selective, somehow my collection of specialty shaped cake pans keeps growing, but who can resist a giant cupcake? I think I can squeeze one more pan into the attic!

Farm Animal Baby Shower Cake
Cakes

Farm Animal Baby Shower Cake

This is a very special cake that I made for my sister’s baby shower. The shower had a farm theme, and so I wanted to do something bright and cheerful. The sheep and pigs figures are from a book I had recently purchased, Debbie Brown’s 50 Easy Party Cakes, a book that I still look at all the time! I absolutely love Debbie Brown’s work. She is so talented at modeling figures from fondant and gumpaste, and her work always looks so polished and professional! I was inspired by her work, and this cake was my first attempt at 3-D modeling with fondant. If you are intimidated by 3-D modeling, her books are the perfect first step. She lays out all of the pieces and gives you a step by step on how she constructs her figures.

Dapper Duck Family
Chocolate

Dapper Duck Family

Easter is on its way, and this dapper duck family seems like the perfect something sweet for this holiday. I love chocolate molding, and Easter is never complete without chocolate, so this is the best time of year to dust off your old chocolate molds and get to work.

Oakland A’s Baseball Cap Cake
Cakes

Oakland A’s Baseball Cap Cake

So I don’t follow baseball at all, but my brother in law, Peter, is a die-hard Oakland A’s fan. He the biggest sports fan I know, and he is unwavering in his dedication to the Oakland Athletics. I wanted to do a special cake for his 35th birthday, and because he is an absolute A’s fanatic, I knew it would have to be an Oakland A’s themed cake. I needed the cake to be compact so I could easily transport it, and this baseball hat cake was a last minute idea that fit all the criteria.

Daffodil Cookies
Chocolate | Cookies

Daffodil Cookies

Spring is finally here, and nothing makes me happier than seeing the cheery bright yellow daffodils that bloom this time of year! Daffodils are my favorite flower, and last year I came across a cute little craft project on Martha Stewart’s website – making paper daffodil candy cups. I loved the look of these delightful decorations and thought why not make them edible! So this year I turned them into a cookie with a candy cup center.

Dancing Goldfish Cake
Cakes | Chocolate

Dancing Goldfish Cake

This is a fun little cake I made for my mom’s birthday. I was inspired by the goldfish chocolate mold, and couldn’t resist putting this little happy goldfish on top of a cake. I like using chocolate figures on cakes because I can make the figures way in advance and then just pop them on the cake at the last minute. For this particular cake, I knew I would be short on time and sleep because I had a two month old baby at home. Even though I was short on time, I wanted to make something special for my mom, so I chose this design.

Mickey Mouse Rocket Cake
Cakes

Mickey Mouse Rocket Cake

We just returned from a family trip to Disneyland and it reminded me of a special cake I made for my nephew’s 4th birthday. My nephew, Cavan, had finally gotten to the age where he was able to tell me what he wanted for his birthday cake, and it was a Mickey Mouse rocket cake. Of course I had heard of Mickey Mouse, but never a Mickey Mouse rocket ship, so I had to do some investigating to see what it was all about.

St. Patty’s Day Frogs
Cupcakes

St. Patty’s Day Frogs

Make these fun frog cupcakes to brighten your St. Patty’s Day festivities! The great thing about these frog cupcakes is that they don’t need to be perfect. A few warts or lumps here and there just give them character, and they are guaranteed to light up the eyes of the little leprechauns in your lives!

Baking Cup Comparison
Cupcakes

Baking Cup Comparison

If you’re like me, you get excited when you see a super cute baking cup! I have polka dots, paisleys, zebra print, striped, colored foil, and even though I have stacks and stacks of baking cups, if a cute pattern or color catches my eye, I simply must have it.  I wouldn’t go so far…

Scuffy The Tugboat Cake
Cakes

Scuffy The Tugboat Cake

Do you recognize this little tugboat?  If you’re like me and have a fondness for the Golden Books of your childhood you do!  It’s Scuffy The Tugboat from the beloved Golden Book.  The book is a classic that you shouldn’t miss out on, so if you haven’t read it yet go out and find a…

Owl Houndstooth Cake
Cakes

Owl Houndstooth Cake

This cake was a last minute idea for the birthday of a very close friend of mine.  Colleen is one of my best and oldest friends, and as you can probably guess, she loves owls.  When I was first thinking about what to do for her, I thought about making a 3-D shaped owl cake…

Valentine’s Cookies
Cookies

Valentine’s Cookies

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and while it is getting closer by the minute, it’s not too late to make some lovely cookies for your sweetheart! These cookies are pretty perfect for a Valentine’s party or fun project. You can make them as simple or detailed as you like, and who can resist a delicious decorated sugar cookie?

Cake and Cupboard Cake
Cakes

Cake and Cupboard Cake

I love polka dots!  They just seem very versatile and cute!  I can think of a thousand polka dot things that I love: polka dot fabric, polka dot ribbon, polka dot pillows.  I could go on. I even have a favorite polka dot sweater. Soooo, I have always wanted to make a polka dot cake…

Hungry Polar Bear Cake
Cakes

Hungry Polar Bear Cake

A polar bear eating ice cream? What could be more fun and delicious than a snowflake covered cake with a happy polar bear on top? Just the thought of a polar bear eating ice cream makes me smile, and children will be pleased to see that polar bears like ice cream just as much as they do!